Unexpected
by Lady Pandora
Summary: Radek and Beth discover something neither expected their first year in the Pegasus galaxy. Part 2 of the Atlantis series.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This story wouldn't be nearly as good without the brain-storming, assistance, and beta skills of theicemenace, although the jury is still out on those Gibbs slaps! This story started out as a small idea and grew rapidly due to overfed plot bunnies. She helped me turn them all into one cohesive story. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

**OC WARNING:** This story is the continuation of my Atlantis series featuring Dr. Radek Zelenka and two OCs, Dr. Bethany Noble and Sgt. Bryan Reynolds, USMC. Any resemblance of my OCs to real people is purely coincidental, as they are a product of my warped brain. If you haven't read Retrospective Ruminations, I highly recommend you do so, as this story builds on some of those chapters.

The Stargate franchise is, sadly, not owned by me. I simply borrow their characters for my own amusement and to appease the rampant plot bunnies.

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><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter 1**

**The beginning is set between Suspicion and Childhood's End**

**Conference Room:**

Peter Grodin looked around the conference room as he sipped from his mug. The taste of his special tea blend tantalized his taste buds as the caffeine hit his bloodstream. They were halfway through the reports, and by now enough coffee had been consumed that most people were fully awake. Some of them, including Bethany Noble from Linguistics, weren't amused at being up at this time of morning. He caught her eye and saluted her with his mug. The look she shot him said quite clearly that 0530 was way too early for a department heads meeting. Peter hid a smile behind his mug, taking another sip as he focused on the current speaker.

"I need to have someone from engineering take a look at the device before I can proceed," Peter Kavanagh said as he gave Zelenka a pointed look. "I'll also need Noble to translate the Ancient writing on it. I believe this is a power source of some sort, and I expect it to be moved to the top of the priority list."

"We actually have more pressing concerns than your pet project, Kavanagh," Rodney McKay snapped. "Things like, oh I don't know, making sure we have enough power, potable water and food. Noble will be busy searching the database for vital information I need. As for Engineering… Zelenka? You're up."

Radek Zelenka walked to the front of the room, tablet in one hand and coffee cup in the other. "There is a problem with desalination tank on the East Pier. It appears to be working, but nothing is flowing from the tank to the city. I have a couple people looking into it, and will send out an update when more information becomes available. Remainder of team is tracking down source of the power fluctuations in Athosians' living quarters. Should have that resolved within next couple of hours, at which point they will undertake inspection of sewage system in currently occupied areas. I will be in the Jumper Bay running diagnostics and making repairs to damaged Jumper."

Radek glanced down at the tablet in front of him, skimming through the schedule. "There will be no one available to look at Kavanagh's device, or any other non-emergency projects, for a minimum of two to three days. I will send someone when opportunity arises."

"That is completely unacceptable. Why can't someone look at it before working on some minor power fluctuations? It's not like they're going to solve the problem today anyway," Kavanagh said snidely.

Rodney looked at him in disbelief. "I'm going to speak slowly so you understand. Power fluctuations bad. Stargate not working bad. Your little toy, not important."

"I should at least have Noble..." Kavanagh started to say.

Rodney cut him off with a wave of his hand. "We're done discussing it, Kavanagh. Any more out of you and you'll be joining the team inspecting the sewage system. Noble? What's the status on the translation program?"

"It's not ready just yet, but we're getting close to beta testing. Grodin and Kusanagi have been collaborating with me on it, and the coding is almost finished." Beth gave a brief report on the status of database searches and translations for the current projects. She finished by saying, "if I have time later, I'll stop by Kavanagh's lab and take a look at the device he's working on."

"Yes, yes, very good. Anything else? Then get to work!" With that, McKay ended the meeting. Peter followed the heads of Botany and Oceanography out of the room, smiling as he listened to them discuss the possible merits of the indigenous algae recently discovered during an excursion along the mainland. He walked down to the landing, crossed it and started up the steps to Ops, where he could see Dr. Weir waiting for him.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Kavanagh snagged Beth's arm as she stood up. "Looks like you have time now. Let's go," he said, tugging her towards the exit.

Beth shot him a dirty look and he released her arm. "I said I would come _if_ I had time. I have several other tasks waiting for me. If you have a problem with that, feel free to discuss it with McKay."

"Fine. But I expect you to come as soon as possible." With that, Kavanagh left in a huff.

Beth glared at his retreating form as she called him a few choice things in Romanian and Greek. Radek approached with a couple mugs of fresh coffee as she finished her tirade, ending with _arrogant a******_.

He chuckled as he handed her one of the mugs. She took it gratefully, sighing with pleasure as she sipped the hot liquid. "I agree with your assessment of Kavanagh. That man almost makes McKay look like a saint… some days," Radek said with a laugh.

"I heard that, Zelenka," Rodney's voice came from halfway across the room as he looked their way.

"You are arrogant, egotistical, and difficult to work with, McKay. This is no secret," Radek calmly replied.

"Don't you have puddle jumpers to diagnose and desalination tanks to inspect?" Rodney said in a snarky tone, waving a hand in the air at him. "If you don't have enough to do I'm sure Kavanagh would be happy to have you look at his little device."

"If I was helping him, then who would double-check your calculations and point out errors?" Radek responded on his way out the door. Rodney sputtered in indignation, but Radek disappeared before he could form a coherent sentence. Beth left for her own lab, laughing at Rodney's snide comment about ungrateful Czech engineers.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

**Kavanagh's lab later that morning: **

The device looked like the Ancient version of a dodecahedron Rubik's© cube, albeit a metal one with flashing buttons instead of a plastic one with colorful stickers. Kavanagh tapped his foot impatiently as he turned the device per Beth's instructions. "Why do _I_ have to hold it? Surely you can take pictures with one hand and hold it with your other!"

Beth rolled her eyes as she snapped photos of the writing etched on each side. "We've been through this. You don't have the ATA gene; I do. You _really_ want me to touch it before we know what it does?" She motioned for him to set it back down as she transferred the photos to her laptop. "Okay, give me a few minutes to translate this and we'll see what we have."

Kavanagh continued to poke and prod at the device while making snide comments about the some people taking their own sweet time to do a simple task. He couldn't fathom what could possibly take so long; after all, she was a linguist so this should be a simple process. _It's not like she's doing advanced physics calculations or dealing with space-time theories_, he thought with distain. "Well? What does it say?" he said impatiently. "You should have finished by now. It's not like you're reverse engineering the device; just translating."

Beth pointed at herself and said, "Linguist," then pointed at Kavanagh and said, "Physicist. Can you shut the hell up for five minutes and let me work? Otherwise your little project goes to the bottom of the list and I head off to the botany lab." She rolled her eyes and muttered a few phrases in Italian as she focused on the screen, laughing to herself as he complained that she could at least speak English.

Kavanagh silently watched her work for all of sixty seconds before he started in on Zelenka and the engineering department, and how his project should have taken precedence over a few measly power fluctuations.

Beth put up with him for a few minutes longer before deciding enough was enough. "I'm going back to my lab to finish up so I can access the Ancient database. I'll let you know when I find something," she said as she slipped the laptop and digital camera into her pack.

"You can't leave _now_," Kavanagh whined. "I'm on the verge of a breakthrough that may be the answer to all our problems." He continued to fiddle with the device as she grabbed her pack in one hand and walked out the door.

She turned back towards him when he yelled, "S***!" as the device rapidly flashed a sequence of colors while emitting a high-pitched whine. He dropped it on the table and flung himself to the floor, rolling under the sturdy metal table and covering his head with both arms as the device detonated. The concussive wave knocked Beth off her feet and flung her body onto a couch in the corridor. She slumped against it, knocked out by the impact.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

An alarm sounded throughout the city. Dr. Weir came running out of her office as the control room shook with the force of the blast. She watched anxiously as Grodin searched for the location of the explosion and then sent out a city-wide broadcast. "Medical team to Kavanagh's lab. Drs. McKay and Zelenka to Kavanagh's lab."

"Great, just great. Like I have nothing better to do than deal with stupidity and incompetence. Figures it would be Kavanagh." Rodney grumbled as he and John ran down the hall towards the nearest transporter. They'd been in the mess hall when the alarm sounded, and Rodney was less than thrilled to have his lunch interrupted by idiots.

"McKay," Sheppard said in a warning tone.

"I swear, the whole department is full of five year olds with delusions of grandeur." Rodney continued, oblivious to Sheppard's tone. "You'd think we could get people who weren't inherently stupid or hadn't obtained their degrees from an online college somewhere in South America or the Caribbean."

"McKay!" John said in exasperation.

"What?" Rodney asked.

"Let's see what the situation is before jumping to conclusions," John suggested.

"Oh, yes, because that's always worked out so well for us in the past," Rodney retorted sarcastically. "My guess would be the idiot did something so monumentally stupid there aren't words for it."

When they arrived at the lab they found Beckett and his team working on two people. McKay recognized Kavanagh's ponytailed figure at once, but it took him a moment to realize that the crumpled figure lying on a couch in the corridor was Dr. Noble. _What is she doing here?_ Then he remembered her offer to help Kavanagh during the morning's staff meeting. Damn. He couldn't afford to lose his linguist. "Beckett, how's Noble?"

"Not now, Rodney. I'm wee bit busy at the moment." Carson replied as he assessed her condition.

"Yes, I can see that. Is she…?" he stuttered to a halt, unable to say what he was thinking.

"A nasty concussion from the look of things, as well as some bruising and swelling on one knee. I'll know more once I get her back to the infirmary and run a complete scan." Carson looked at the two orderlies beside him. "All right, lads. Let's get her on the gurney. On my count. One, two, three."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek came flying around the corner as Beckett disappeared with his patients. "What has happened?" he asked, looking around at the destruction as he straightened his glasses and ran a hand over his flyaway hair.

"Dumbass Kavanagh couldn't be bothered with proper procedures." Rodney gestured towards the pieces of the Ancient device scattered in what had been a lab only a short time ago. "He'll be doing every menial task I can find for the next two weeks." Rodney stated, grimacing as he gazed around at the devastation. "Zelenka, I need you to remove the pieces of the device and secure them in my lab. I'd do it myself but we need to make sure it wasn't the ATA gene that set it off. Kavanagh couldn't have done it, but Noble might have triggered it," he mused.

Radek walked over to the damaged table and gingerly picked up a piece of the device. He looked sharply at Rodney as he registered what he'd said. "Beth was here when the device went off? Is she all right?" He looked around, catching sight of her pack slumped against the base of a couch in the corridor.

"Beckett took her and that idiot to the infirmary to get checked out," Rodney said absently as he walked around the room, viewing the explosion from various angles.

John leaned against the wall beside the door and surveyed the room as Rodney stared thoughtfully at the epicenter of the blast.

"Rodney." Radek's voice intruded on Rodney's thoughts, much to his annoyance.

"Hmm? What?" he responded, distracted by the puzzle in front of him.

"McKay!" Radek said in exasperation.

"What is it? I'm a bit busy here, Zelenka," he snapped.

"Answer my question and I will leave you alone. Is Beth okay?" Radek asked, his accent thickening in his agitation.

"Does that really matter when we have more important… Where the hell do you think you're going? Zelenka!" Rodney called out to Radek as he headed for the door and disappeared without comment. Rodney huffed in annoyance. "One of his pigeons would be more help." He reached up and tapped the earpiece. "Simpson! I need you in Kavanagh's lab ASAP!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Laughter, brain-storming, assistance, and beta skills courtesy of theicemenace. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

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><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter 2**

Carson refused to allow anyone to see his patients until he'd done a complete examination on both of them. When he walked out towards the waiting area, he found several people waiting. Zelenka sat typing on a laptop while McKay talked a mile a minute about the incompetence and lack of intelligence permeating his department, Sheppard leaned against the wall with a smirk on his face as he listened to McKay rant, and Bryan Reynolds was talking quietly with his three teammates.

Rodney looked up as his approach, saying impatiently, "Well, how are they?"

Carson took a deep breath before responding. "Dr. Kavanagh will have a doozy of a headache along with some minor bruising and lacerations. He'll be staying here overnight for observation, but should be free to go in the morning."

"What about Beth?" Bryan asked with concern.

"Aye, well, that's a different story. It appears that Dr. Noble was in the direct path of the explosion. She has a concussion and some minor lacerations as well as severe bruising from hitting the couch, but the major damage was to her right knee. With proper care she should be back to active duty in several weeks' time. She's resting right now. You may see her but keep your voices down so as not to disturb the other patients." He looked pointedly at Rodney, who gave him a "who me?" look.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

The small group followed Carson towards the back of the infirmary, John taking a moment to talk with a wounded Marine before he caught up to Rodney, who had stopped in front of the bed Kavanagh was sitting on while his injuries were being treated.

John rolled his eyes as he leaned against the wall, his casual pose a direct contradiction to the sharp eyes that noted everything around him. He listened to Rodney's tirade with one ear, laughing to himself at the increasingly wild gestures the scientist made as he ranted, talking right over Kavanagh as he tried to defend himself. When Beckett headed their way he pushed away from the wall, steering a sputtering Rodney towards Noble's bed and the people clustered there.

He smirked at Rodney's bedside manner as he looked around, noting that Reynolds' team was there in support of 'their' scientist. The idea to assign a scientist to each team hadn't been a popular one with either the civilians or the military personnel, and he was gratified to see the linguist's teammates there.

John let the conversation flow over him, concentrating instead on the body language and expressions of those gathered around the bed. Marx, Neilson and O'Reilly had the look of those worried about an injured teammate, but Reynolds' concern was something different; it wasn't romantic, more like close friends. He filed the thought away for later consideration, remembering that Reynolds had specifically requested that Noble be assigned to his team.

The biggest surprise was Zelenka. Although he didn't know the Czech very well, he admired the man's ability to put up with Rodney on a continual basis. He bet the man had no idea that his feelings about the injured linguist were that transparent to someone trained to catch minute details. Zelenka glanced his way at one point, quickly schooling his features into an unreadable mask. John chuckled to himself as he wondered how long it would take for the man to admit his feelings and act on them. _Maybe this is the catalyst he needs to make a move. I bet Rodney'll blow a gasket when he finds out! _

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Bryan's first thought when he saw Beth was how pale and fragile she looked, a distinct contrast to her usual vivaciousness. He could see the gentle rise and fall of the sheet as she breathed in and out. He squeezed her right hand gently. "Beth?" he whispered. "Hey, kiddo."

Her eyes opened slowly and she blinked, green eyes looking up at him in confusion. "Bry?" she said hoarsely. "Aren't you supposed to be out exploring the `burbs?" She looked up at the white ceiling and back at him. "Where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary. There was an explosion in Kavanagh's lab," he answered. Beth glanced at the group gathered around her bed. Radek stood to her left while Josh Marx, Benji Neilson and Seamus O'Reilly, the other three members of Bryan's team, stood at the foot of the bed. The three Marines murmured greetings to her which were drowned out by McKay's strident tone. Sheppard leaned casually against the wall as the irate scientist berated Kavanagh, hands moving more animatedly as his voice rose in volume. The other man, who was seated on a bed as a nurse cleaned and bandaged his wounds, tried to defend himself to no avail.

"What did you think you were doing messing around with that Ancient device?! You were told this morning that someone from engineering would be available in three days. It's not like you don't have other things to do. Noble volunteered to help you with translating the text, which does not mean you can arbitrarily endanger her life! You are replaceable; she is not! As of today you have just been assigned to inspect the entire sewer system on the lower levels." Rodney talked right over Kavanagh's strident protest. "And the next time you endanger another member of my staff I'll have you doing the worst jobs I can find for a solid month."

"Rodney," came Carson Beckett's voice as he walked around the corner, "Play nice."

Rodney sputtered indignantly. "But he…"

"_Enough_, McKay," John said as he maneuvered him away from Kavanagh and towards the group gathered around Beth.

"Umm… how are you feeling?" Rodney asked as he and John walked up to stand next to Radek.

"Like crap," Beth replied honestly.

"Beckett's voodoo will have you better in no time. I'll have Kusanagi field the translation requests until he releases you. And don't worry about Kavanagh; he'll be busy dealing with sewer system inspections." He patted her arm awkwardly once and then took a step back as if unsure what to do. Sheppard smirked at him.

Beth shifted slightly, grimacing at the pain from her bruised body. "Will someone please tell me what happened? I remember taking pictures with the digital camera so I could get a better look at the writing, and deciding to go back to my lab rather than stay there. I walked to the door, turning back around when I heard Kavanagh swear. There was a bright flash of light followed by a loud boom, and then… nothing… until I found myself here." she finished, looking up at the faces around her.

Radek told her that the Ancient device had detonated, but they had no idea why it did so. "Lucky it was a small explosion. Any stronger and you could have been severely injured or possibly even killed," he said absently, thinking out loud.

She paled at his matter-of-fact words, realizing just how close it had been. Bryan gripped her hand tightly, as shaken as her by the comment.

Radek winced when he realized that he had vocalized his thoughts. "_S***! I'm sorry,__ B__ě__ta_," he apologized, agitation causing him to slip into his native tongue.

Beth smiled gamely at the flustered scientist, who refused to meet her gaze. "It's okay, Radek." She touched the back of his hand where it lay on the mattress, surprised when he turned his hand to squeeze her fingers gently for a moment before releasing them and dropping his arm to his side.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Doctor Beckett appeared next to Beth. "Visitin' hours are over. Get on out of here 'n let my patients rest." He slipped a syringe out of his pocket and inserted it into the IV port. "This should take effect momentarily," he said as he looked at Beth. She felt the world slip away as the sedative knocked her out.

"McKay, what say we go check out what's left of the device and see if we can figure out what happened?" John asked as he and Rodney headed out.

"I'd better stop by the main lab first. The last thing we need is another irresponsible idiot doing something stupid that could potentially blow up half the tower," Rodney's voice echoed back.

When Carson stopped by a couple hours later, Bryan was sitting beside the bed reading a book while Beth slept. The Marine was obviously determined to stay, and the he didn't have the heart to kick him out.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

By early afternoon Bryan had been joined by Radek, who had commandeered a chair and a small table from the waiting room and sat working on his and Beth's laptops, muttering now and again in Czech as he switched from one to the other.

Bryan laughed when he caught a couple familiar phrases. "You and Beth seem to favor the same Czech swear words, Dr. Z, although she tends to switch languages when she's in a mood."

Radek shrugged. "Only so many ways to say something in any language."

"What are you working on?" Bryan asked as he bookmarked his page and closed the book. He reached for one of the bottles of water on the bedside table, twisting off the top to take a long drink. "You want one?" he asked, raising the bottle as he spoke.

"Please." The scientist drank deeply from the offered bottle before replacing the cap and setting it on the floor beside him. "Thank you. I'm working on the translation program Beth has been coding. Grodin and Kusanagi are working on it as well, and we are close to completion. The program wasn't slated for beta testing this soon, but given the circumstances is better than nothing, yes?"

"So, why two laptops?" he asked curiously, angling to get a better view of the screens.

Radek turned the table slightly to afford the Marine a better view. "Beth's laptop, which I am working on, contains the program coding and her notes. My laptop," he pointed at the split-screen, "has windows open with both Grodin & Kusanagi, as we are all working on different areas and need to make sure any changes don't affect other sections of code." He slipped into the technical details without realizing it, too used to working around fellow scientists.

Bryan felt his eyes glaze over as the Czech continued on for a couple minutes longer, feeling like he was back in a college lecture hall. A beep drew the scientist's attention and Bryan gratefully went back to his book. _I have __**got**__ to quit asking questions I won't understand the answers to._

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Late in the afternoon Beth woke up to the soft sound of pages turning and the click of fingers on a keyboard, punctuated by muttered Czech. When she opened her eyes she saw Bryan sitting beside her bed, blonde head bent over his tattered copy of the Lord of the Rings, and Radek seated just past him working on a pair of laptops.

"Hey guys. What time is it?" she asked in a husky voice.

"Hey, kiddo. How are you feeling?" Bryan asked as Radek looked up with a smile.

She frowned. "Worse than the last time I sparred with Teal'c. What happened to my leg?"

Carson walked around the corner, pulling one side of the curtain closed as he did so. "I see my timin' is perfect. Gentlemen, if you'll excuse us, my patient and I need a few moments alone." He ushered them out and pulled the other half of the curtain closed.

As he examined her knee, Carson explained that some of the ligaments were strained and she would need the support provided by the brace for several weeks.

"Will I be able to run again?" Beth asked hesitantly, her eyes focused on Carson's hands as he probed the swollen area around her knee.

Carson looked up at her with a smile. "Aye, lass, you certainly will. An injury like this takes time to heal, but you'll be running again before you know it." His matter-of-fact explanation of her injuries and the treatment required reassured her. Once he was done he opened the curtains again, allowing the two men to rejoin her.

Beth gave them the quick rundown of her injuries, looking at her knee in annoyance. "Just what I needed to make life complete," Beth grumbled. "How am I supposed to do anything?"

Bryan ruffled her hair and she half-heartedly swatted at him. "How about you let us worry about that. You just concentrate on getting better."

Radek added, "The beta version of your translation program is almost ready to upload. It's a bit ahead of the schedule you had in mind, but given the circumstances…" he shrugged. "All translations will be copied to a folder for you to review and make changes."

"I haven't finished the coding yet, how can it…" Beth trailed off as she took in the two laptops beside Radek. She looked at him to see a shy smile on his face. "Radek, did you finish my program?"

He nodded, saying, "Grodin and Kusanagi have been working on it with me. Will have it ready to go by tomorrow or the next day."

Can you ask Peter to keep an eye on it?" Beth asked. "I know you've got other projects that need your attention and he can check it from the control room."

"Certainly," Radek replied as he quickly typed an email.

She shifted slightly, wincing as several bruises made themselves known. "This is just a dream. I'll wake up in the morning and everything will be fine," Beth muttered as she closed her eyes.

Radek snorted. "I'm afraid that's wishful thinking."

"_Quiet, Radek_," she ordered, a smile playing on her lips. He chuckled in response before turning his attention back to the laptops.

Bryan squeezed her hand gently. "Sweet dreams, kiddo."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Laughter, brain-storming, assistance, and beta skills courtesy of theicemenace. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

Authors love feedback. If you enjoy this, please take a moment to leave a comment. Thank you! Lady Pandora

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><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter 3**

Around 1800 hours Bryan volunteered to get dinner, adding that he was used to being active and needed to stretch his legs for a bit. Radek thanked him, continuing to work for a few minutes before he closed both laptops with a sigh. He stood up to stretch, one hand on the back of his neck as he rolled his head around, relieved to have the vertebrae pop and the tension ease. He walked over to the side of the bed to look down at Beth, asleep with one hand curled up on the pillow next to her cheek. He wished that he could rewind time back to the morning's meeting and somehow find five minutes to look at Kavanagh's device. _If I had spared a few minutes for his little project, she would not be lying here._ Realistically he knew that there was no way he could have done things differently, but that didn't make the current situation any less painful. "_I am truly sorry, Běta_," he whispered softly.

He reached out a hand and gently moved some strands of hair out of her face, fingertips accidentally brushing her cheek. Her head tilted towards him and he froze, afraid that he'd awakened her. After a moment he quietly stepped back, hands behind his back as he watched her sleep. Several minutes passed as he stood there thinking, only to be disrupted when Bryan returned with two trays of food.

"Shh. Quietly," Radek cautioned as Beth stirred briefly before settling back down.

"Thanks for sitting with her, Dr. Z. I appreciate it."

"Is no problem. I am happy to do it." He smiled fondly at her sleeping form, unaware that he was giving away more than he meant to with that look.

Bryan raised an eyebrow as he eyed the scientist speculatively. "Doc, are you sweet on my sister?"

Radek responded quickly, "_Ne_, we are simply good friends."

"Whatever you say," Bryan grinned as Radek shot him a dirty look.

"You are not to tease her about this, or you will have cold showers for the next month," he threatened.

"Tease her? Me? You forget, I know firsthand how deadly she is with those knives," Bryan said with a grin.

Radek looked at him sharply. "And no heat in your quarters."

"Okay, okay." Bryan held up his hands in surrender. "I promise not to say anything… for now."

Radek shook his head resignedly and decided to change the subject. Any further protestations on his part would only fuel the fire, and he didn't want to risk what they might have before they had a chance to explore it. "I was under impression that Beth is an only child, yet you refer to her as your sister."

Bryan pulled over a table and set the trays on it, making himself comfortable before responding. "It's a long story, Doc. Pull up a chair and I'll give you the highlights while we eat."

"About six years ago I was transferred to the SGC to join one of the Marine teams stationed there. The first time I saw Beth I was in the mess hall eating dinner and watched a lieutenant make the mistake of hitting on her."

_**Stargate Command, early evening:**_

_Marine Sergeant Bryan Reynolds sat at a table in a corner of the dfs, back against the wall, people watching while he ate dinner. He'd only arrived at the SGC a couple days ago, so most of the people there were unfamiliar. There were three Airmen a few tables down tossing grapes into the air and catching them in their mouths. He rolled his eyes at their antics. _That'll last until an officer walks in.

_Several Marines had shoved a couple of tables together and were talking shop while eating. _Geez. Give it a rest, guys. Isn't it enough to have trained all day? _he thought with exasperation. _

_A young Lieutenant walked in and made a beeline straight for a ponytailed brunette, who set down her book with a sigh as she looked up at him with resigned tolerance. Bryan couldn't quite make out what he said, but he saw the flash of annoyance in her green eyes and figured it wasn't appreciated. _Hitting on someone in the mess hall, **real classy**_, he thought sarcastically. _

_He kept an eye on the brunette as he continued to eat, poised to jump up and intervene if needed. The Lieutenant kept talking as the brunette slid a slim knife out of a sheath lying beside her tray, flipping it absentmindedly between her fingers. Suddenly, so quickly that Bryan would have missed it if he hadn't been looking at her, she flipped the knife back and sent it flying through the air where it stuck in the wall, a grape impaled on it. _

_One of the Airmen gasped, "Holy s***!" _

_The Lieutenant turned to see the knife quivering in the wall and the blood drained out of his face. The entire room went silent as everyone turned to look at the knife and then the brunette, who stood up and smiled brightly as she walked over to the wall and pulled out the knife. She slid the grape off its tip onto the nearest tray and then left, detouring to pick up her book and the knife sheath on the way out. Bryan chuckled as the Lieutenant, now bright red, quickly left amid laughter from those in the chow hall. _Those are some serious skills. I wonder who she is._ He listened to the conversations around him, trying to catch a name to no avail. _Hmmm. Well, the base isn't that big. I'm bound to run into her soon.

He regaled Radek with several other stories over the next couple hours, including one about the night she found out her grandmother had passed away. "One thing I've learned the hard way is that she is very independent and doesn't like to show weakness. Her dad was a Marine and she picked up that attitude from him. I love her to death, but there are times I want to shake her for being so stubborn."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth woke again in the middle of the night, hearing the brisk click of fingers on a keyboard as she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes expecting to see Radek, and was surprised to find Rodney sitting in the chair next to her bed. "McKay?" she called softly. "What are you doing here?"

Rodney looked up at her as he ran a hand through his hair. "Call me Rodney." He waved a hand to indicate the two sleeping figures. "Someone had to make sure those two idiots got some sleep, and it's not like I was going to bed anytime soon. No one will disturb me while I'm in the infirmary, so I've managed to get several things done without the constant interruptions that usually occur." A frown crossed his face as he looked back down at the laptop, scrolling rapidly through the data on the screen.

Radek lay curled up on the next bed over and Bryan was stretched out in a chair next to Rodney, both of them sound asleep. Beth looked at them and back at Rodney. _It's easy to forget that his snarky, abrasive exterior hides someone who truly cares about the welfare of his colleagues and friends_. She had guessed, based on some past comments, that he had learned early in life how to deflect people with an arrogant, egotistical front, presumably to deal with those who didn't know how to handle a genius with a complete disregard for social skills. Unfortunately, few people bothered to look beyond that to the person underneath.

Rodney felt her eyes on him. He glanced back up and caught her thoughtful expression. "What?" he said, defensively.

"I…" Beth stopped, knowing he'd never admit to being concerned about one of his staff. "Thanks, Rodney," she finally said, looking at him with sincerity.

"You're welcome," he said in surprise; being thanked for something was a rare occurrence in his world. They talked softly for several minutes before Beth drifted off to sleep again as Rodney resumed typing.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Carson carried a cup of coffee to his office as he looked over the night's reports. He motioned to Marie, who had been headed back to her station after delivering breakfast to the patients in residence, and gave her instructions for Beth's medication, which included an Athosian herbal pain killer along with ibuprofen and acetaminophen. He also requested that she retrieve some clothing from Beth's quarters.

Once he finished his coffee and made a few notes, Carson started his rounds, beginning with a Marine who'd had the misfortune of falling down a steep embankment during an off world mission, breaking his leg in two places and requiring pins to keep the bones in place while it healed. He checked on a couple others, releasing one and changing the bandages on another, before he moved on to Beth, who was just finishing up her breakfast.

"Good morning, love. How are you feeling today?" he asked as he checked her vitals. "Any dizziness or blurred vision?"

"Aside from every inch of my body aching? Not too bad," she replied as Carson chuckled. "I would like to get back to my lab as soon as possible," she said hopefully.

He shook his head and gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid you won't be back to work for awhile yet. Your body needs time to heal and the best medicine for that is rest. I want you to elevate the leg as much as possible over the next couple days, ice it as necessary, and use the crutches to move around. A cane will suffice after that." He outlined the course of treatment over the next several weeks, which was primarily rest and physical therapy initially, then light work duty until she was fully healed. He handed her a pair of crutches and coached her as she practiced.

"Careful now. Easy does it. And remember, pushing yourself will only make the healing process take longer. When I say rest, I mean rest. Absolutely no working," Carson said firmly.

Beth sighed with frustration as she ran a hand through her hair. "What am I supposed to do in the meantime? It's not like I can sit around in my pajamas, watch bad TV, and order takeout."

Bryan walked into the infirmary and headed for her bed, arriving in time to hear her comment. "Don't worry, kiddo. I've got a plan," he said with a wink, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

She groaned. "Oh no. I know that look. Maybe I should just stay in the infirmary."

Carson laughed. "Sorry, lass. The infirmary's fer those who require constant care and monitoring." He motioned for Bryan to step back as Marie came over with a change of clothing.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

A few minutes later Beth sat on the bed, attired in her favorite track suit, and watched closely as the nurse strapped the brace back on and adjusted the sides. She thanked her for her assistance, glad to be in her own clothes instead of hospital scrubs.

Marie opened the curtain as she left, and Beth saw that Radek had joined the other two while she had gotten changed. Her pack was slung over his shoulder. She wondered briefly how he'd gotten it, then realized he must have retrieved it from Kavanagh's lab.

Carson was holding a set of crutches in one hand and a packet in the other. He handed the crutches to Radek and the packet to Beth, outlining the medication regimen and its side effects, which included drowsiness, lightheadedness, and mild nausea.

"No lifting or carrying anythin' heavier than a cup o' coffee; let your friends help with that. I've asked Rodney to lock your laptop from the network until I release you. You can watch movies, but no work at all. Not even working on a paper. Is that clear?" Carson looked at her sternly as he talked.

"As crystal," Beth said meekly, feeling that the effort of watching a movie was almost more than she wanted to tackle right then.

"I'm serious, lass. You push yourself too hard and you could damage that leg permanently," he said. "You'll have to wait until the ligaments completely heal before any strenuous exercise, which most definitely includes running. With proper care and physical therapy we should have you back on active duty in seven to eight weeks."

"Don't worry, Doc, I'll make sure she behaves," Bryan promised, laughing as Beth rolled her eyes.

"You can't even keep yourself out of trouble," she retorted.

Carson motioned for an orderly to bring over a wheelchair, and helped her get settled in it. "Stay off the leg as much as possible today, and let these gentlemen take care of you." He shooed them out of the infirmary, reminding Beth to come back in two days for a check-up and the start of her physical therapy.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth watched the scenery as they walked towards the living quarters, completely missing the silent exchange between the two men. Bryan pushed the wheelchair as Radek walked alongside with the crutches. He tapped the scientist's arm and gave him an inquiring look. Radek patted the strap of Beth's pack and raised an eyebrow. Bryan nodded, his eyes full of mischief. As they turned the last corner by Beth's quarters she saw Josh Marx, Benji Neilson and Seamus O'Reilly waiting with a cart full of equipment.

"All right, Bry, what are you up to?" she asked suspiciously, turning her head to look up at him.

"Just following doctor's orders, kiddo. I knew it would take more than just me to handle you, so I recruited the team." He grinned as she sputtered indignantly. Radek looked sideways at him and he sobered, saying, "Look, the guys just want to help. You're a member of our team and we take care of our own. Major Sheppard took us off the active duty roster for a couple days so we can help you."

The other three men nodded as she looked from one to the other. Finally she looked at Radek, who simply said, "We are friends. Rodney knows where I am if emergency arises."

Beth shook her head in resignation, then gingerly stood up and waved her hand over the door sensor. "Welcome to my humble abode, gentlemen," she said, seating herself back in the wheelchair. Bryan wheeled her to the small couch and she happily traded the chair for a seat in the middle of the couch. She watched curiously as Radek directed the others, surprised to see a make-shift entertainment center emerge as everything was connected and arranged. Radek pulled an external hard drive out of her pack and hooked it up, then handed the mouse to Bryan as he moved aside.

Bryan scrolled through the list of movies and television shows available on the hard drive. "Any preference?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her. She shook her head, realizing that was a mistake when he smirked and hit play.

When the title flashed across the screen Beth groaned. "Lethal Weapon? Seriously?"

"Yes!" the Marines chorused as she rolled her eyes at them. Radek smiled as he took the packet of medicine from her hands, walking over to the desk to prepare it.

"We could always switch to Top Gun and watch you drool over the flyboys," Bryan teased as he hit pause.

"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically, "Like I need you all harassing me about _that_ again."

Benji piped up, "We already know you ogle the flyboys," laughing as she retorted in Russian.

Radek handed her a cup and she drank it down as he sat next to her on the couch and pulled his tablet out of her pack. She leaned against him as he scrolled through emails and reports, making her responses to the guys' razzing in any language but English just to watch them try to decipher what she'd said. He choked on a laugh when she switched to Czech and told Josh he had a screw loose, the remark very similar to what he'd been thinking about the author of the report he'd been reading.

Her teammates continued to needle her as Seamus placed a small stool in front of her and gently placed her leg on top, followed by Benji placing an ice pack on her knee. The two men took seats on the floor to either side of the stool, careful not to jostle it. Bryan took the other spot on the couch, and Josh lounged in her desk chair. As the movie resumed Beth glanced around at the five men and smiled to herself.

"Something you'd like to share?" Bryan whispered as he handed her a bottle of water. She shook her head at him as he lightly bumped her shoulder with his. "You need anything?"

"I'm good," she whispered back. "Watch your movie before I decide to change it." He rested an arm on the back of the couch, touching her shoulder with his fingertips and giving her a slight nudge. When Beth looked at him he indicated the scientist, who was trying not to disturb her while he worked. She nodded slightly and shifted to rest against him, giving Radek more space. They watched the movie in companionable silence, his hand shifting every so often to ruffle her hair as she swatted at him in annoyance.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Laughter, brain-storming, assistance, and beta skills courtesy of theicemenace. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter 4**

Teyla and Ford had been given the whole story about Kavanagh, Noble, and the lab explosion during their team breakfast the day after the incident. John had delighted in tweaking Rodney every time Kavanagh's name came up, much to the amusement of everyone else. Teyla didn't know Kavanagh at all, but she had spent several hours discussing Athosian history and traditions with the linguist.

After a Bantos session the next day, she decided to visit with Beth. Teyla swung by her quarters to change clothes and grab a blanket from a small chest where she kept special items, mementos that reminded her of life before the Wraith were awakened.

When she arrived at Beth's quarters she waved a hand over the sensor. A moment later the door opened to reveal Beth standing there balanced on crutches.

"May I come in?" Teyla asked, smiling at the linguist.

Beth maneuvered to one side as she responded, "Please." She carefully walked back to the couch, sitting down with a sigh and lifting her leg up onto a small stool.

"Should you be up?" Teyla inquired, looking around to see if anyone else was in the room before sitting in the desk chair. "I thought someone was staying with you during the day."

"Dr. Beckett gave the okay for crutches as long as I don't overdo it. My team was here, but they were called to help out with something. No one gave me any details, but I'm guessing they'll be gone for some time. Meanwhile, here I sit!" she grimaced in annoyance.

Teyla chuckled. "I too would be frustrated by an injury that left me unable to assist when needed." She handed Beth the blanket she was holding. "It is a custom among my people to bring a gift to comfort those who are injured. Charon and I made this last winter, and I would like you to have it. May it bring you rest and peace while you heal."

Beth unfolded the blanket, eyes widening as she looked at the craftsmanship. "It's beautiful, Teyla! Thank you so much." She stroked the soft material reverently, tracing a finger along some of the detailed needlework.

"You are most welcome," Teyla responded, a smile lighting her face over Beth's obvious enjoyment of the gift. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I could use an ice pack, if you don't mind." Beth pointed to a small red and white cooler sitting on the desk.

Teyla brought her one of the blue packs and placed it to her satisfaction before resuming her seat. "Have you found any further information on the Athosian people in the Ancient database?"

"I'm sorry, Teyla. I haven't had the chance to look since we last talked. I have time now but I'm not allowed to do anything that would be considered work," Beth said apologetically.

Teyla laid a hand on her arm reassuringly. "It is not a priority. When you have time to do so will be soon enough. Would you like to hear more of our history? I talked with Charon when I went to the mainland recently, and she had answers for some of your questions."

Beth nodded, her eager expression reminding Teyla of some of the younger children when waiting for a new story. The two talked for the next hour or so about Athosian history and traditions, comparing them with various Earth cultures. Teyla promised to ask Charon for more details the next time she visited the mainland.

"Would you like to join me for lunch?"

Beth smiled and nodded. "I can't walk that far on the crutches, but if you don't mind pushing the wheelchair I'd enjoy the change in scenery."

A few minutes later the pair exited the transporter next to the mess hall and walked inside. Beth balanced their trays on her lap as Teyla wheeled her through the line. They selected their choices, then turned towards the seating area. "I forgot about that," Beth said, looking at the stairs.

"Not to worry. We'll just go out onto the balcony and enjoy some fresh air while we eat." Beth held their trays as Teyla maneuvered them out to a small table on the balcony.

A few minutes later, Peter Grodin asked if he could join them. The trio chatted while they ate, interrupted several times as various people stopped by to say hello and wish Beth well. Peter excused himself twenty minutes later, promising to stop by the next afternoon for a proper visit.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth felt her energy waning. She closed her eyes as Teyla gathered their trays and took them to the tray station, opening them again at a touch to her hand.

"Are you feeling alright?" Teyla asked, looking at her in concern.

Beth looked up at the Athosian woman. "I'm just tired. I think it's nap time."

Teyla's earpiece chirped. "This is Teyla." She listened carefully for a moment, then responded, "I will be there shortly." She looked at Beth apologetically. "I need to go. But I look forward to continuing our conversation at a later time." Teyla touched foreheads with her in the traditional Athosian manner before leaving quickly.

Beth sighed as she realized she'd have to maneuver herself back to her quarters. As she turned to go through the doorway, a pair of hands lifted hers from the wheels to the armrests and steered her towards the transporter. Beth glanced up to see Sergeant Bates pushing the chair.

"My mother would never forgive me if I didn't take the time to help a lady in need," he said with a smile. "Where are you headed?"

"To my quarters. Thank you," she said quietly, leaning back in the chair.

"All part of the service, ma'am," Bates responded, reaching up to select the right spot on the transport screen.

"Beth."

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is Beth, not ma'am."

"Nicholas, but you can call me Nick." He maneuvered the chair out of the transport, then stopped. "Which way?" She gave him directions and in a short time they were in front of her door. She reached up a hand and waved it at the sensor, triggering the door.

"Anything else I can do for you?" he asked as he pushed the chair inside, stopping it beside the couch.

"I've got it from here. Thank you, Nick."

He nodded and flashed a smile at her as he walked out the door. Within a few minutes Beth was sound asleep, waking only when the door chimed a few hours later.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek waited patiently in the hallway, an external hard drive tucked under one arm as he balanced a large tray of food on his laptop. A couple minutes passed before the door opened. Beth stood there balanced on the crutches, looking somewhat disheveled as she stifled a yawn. "Sorry. I was asleep," she said in a warm, husky voice.

"I thought you might like some company," he said with a shy smile.

A corner of her mouth turned up as she answered, "I would _love_ some company." She moved to one side and he walked in, taking the tray over to the low table in front of the couch and placing his laptop on her desk.

He held up the external hard drive. "McKay says we should watch something called _The Five Doctors_. Is _Doctor Who_, I believe."

"Someone brought _Doctor Who_?" Beth's face lit up at the mention of one of her favorite shows. "I used to watch that with my dad. Depending on where he was stationed, we'd sometimes wait months to get new episodes, but it was worth it."

Radek turned on the system and swapped external hard drives as Beth disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, returning just as he started scrolling through the contents. He selected the file and hit play, then joined her on the couch. He handed her one of the plates and a bottled water from the tray, then picked up the other and started to eat.

Twenty minutes later he was sputtering at the impossibility of the science on the show. "There is no way that would ever work! Traveling in time _and _space?" He switched to his native language to better articulate his outrage at their so-called science. Beth was laughing so hard she started to slide off the edge of the couch. She grabbed at his arm and he quickly pulled her back up beside him, careful not to jostle her leg.

She finally managed to say, "It's not about the science. It's about the Doctor traveling around with various companions, and about him solving problems with ingenuity and a sonic screwdriver rather than guns and violence," before dissolving into laughter again.

Radek looked offended at that. "How can one solve problems with faulty science? I see why McKay likes it; this Doctor sounds a lot like him at times." He rested an arm along the back of the couch, fingers brushing against her shoulder.

She wiped tears from her eyes, then took a deep breath. "I wouldn't mention that to Rodney if I were you. He's already insufferable." They watched the rest of the movie in relative silence as Radek tried his best to ignore the blatant abuse of his beloved science. Every so often he'd mutter under his breath and Beth would start laughing again.

After the show ended he moved the tray over to her desk and poured her a cup of the Athosian herbal brew Beckett had prescribed. "What would you like to watch next?" he asked as he handed her the cup.

"More Doctor Who?" she said with a grin, sipping the drink. He shook his head in resignation as he queued up the next episode, settling back down on the couch as it started. He stretched his arm along the back of the couch again, and she took that as an invitation to lean against him. It took a couple episodes before the effects of the drink kicked in, causing her eyes to drift shut. She winced as she shifted around a bit in an attempt to get comfortable. A stab of guilt hit him and he said quietly, "I'm sorry, Běta."

She asked sleepily, "Sorry for what?"

"That you were injured," he replied, regret in his tone. "If I had only…" She looked up at him and put two fingers across his lips to silence him.

"It's not your fault. If you or someone else had been there you would have been a lot closer than I was when it exploded. I'll be fine in a few weeks, but you might have been seriously hurt or even killed." She shuddered at the thought, leaning back against him as he curled his arm around her.

He felt something ease inside him at her words. "Thank you."

"We're friends. `S my job to point out these things." She relaxed into him as he tightened his arm slightly, resting her head on his chest as her eyes closed again. Radek looked back at the screen and frowned.

"Běta?"

"Hmmm?"

"There is no way that box could be bigger on the inside. Makes no sense."

"It's a TV show, Radek. It's not required to follow the laws of physics."

"But…" he started to protest.

Her hand came up to cover his mouth. "_Quiet, Radek_. I'm trying to sleep."

He chuckled as she moved her hand away, shifting a bit to make her more comfortable. He held her in his arms as she slept, thinking about what she had said.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Bryan and his teammates walked down the corridor towards the residential area. The damaged section in the lower level of one of the towers was now clear, and the people that had been trapped were now in the infirmary being examined by Beckett and his team. They split up at the intersection of the next corridor, each one headed to shower and get some well-deserved rest before their mission in the morning.

Bryan waved a hand over the sensor and stepped inside when the door opened. He quickly divested himself of his uniform, automatically emptying the pockets of all the things he'd collected during the day. The last item he pulled out was an earpiece. _Crap. I forgot I still had Beth's earpiece. If I hadn't taken it, though, she would have spent the day listening in on the comm._ He sighed, wanting nothing more than a shower and bed. _Shower first, then I'll swing by and drop it off._

Ten minutes later, showered and dressed in casual clothes, he walked down the corridor towards her quarters. He was a bit surprised to see Radek instead of Beth when the door opened. The scientist pointed to the sleeping figure on the couch and he nodded in understanding. He held up the earpiece and the other man moved aside to allow him entry.

Bryan walked over to the desk and set it down, then sat in the desk chair. He watched with interest as Radek carefully sat back down on the couch and put an arm around Beth, who snuggled back against him. When the scientist looked at him inquiringly, Bryan said in a low voice, "She doesn't usually let people get that close, particularly when she's asleep. I've never been able to pinpoint why, but she's typically very reluctant to have anyone touch her or show displays of affection, especially in a public place."

Radek raised an eyebrow at that and he grinned, knowing exactly what was running through the other man's mind. "I've never paid any attention to her efforts to avoid contact, and she's pretty much resigned to me at this point. Watch her with the guys; they know exactly what her limits are and stay within them. Those who didn't, learned the hard way that she's wickedly accurate with those blades," he said with a smirk, remembering again the demonstration in the SGC mess hall. "The best advice I can give you is to simply be yourself. If she's comfortable enough with you to do that," he pointed at the woman sleeping in Radek's arms, "you're already closer to her than anyone aside from me."

"Why are you telling me this?" Radek asked curiously.

"Why? Because she needs someone besides me to remind her that she's not alone, and I may not be here every time. And I have a feeling we'll run into her temper as soon as she's feeling better. Like I told you before, she could write the book on independent and stubborn. Give her space but don't let her push you away."

Bryan looked at the sleeping figure affectionately, then back up at Radek. "One last thing. She's family to me. And no one messes with my family," he said emphatically. "Hurt her, and it will be the last thing you ever do."

Radek opened his mouth to respond then closed it as Beth stirred and opened her eyes. "Are you playing the big brother card again, Bry?" asked Beth in a husky, sleep-warmed voice. "Don't listen to him, Radek. He's all talk. _I_ have to defend _him_ against predatory females."

"Hey, kiddo. 'Bout time you woke up. I was about to start on the embarrassing stories next," Bryan chuckled as she made a face.

"Embarrassing stories? Such as _me_ saving _your_ ass while we were on a mission a few years back?" she asked with a lop-sided grin.

Bryan growled, "It wasn't _my_ fault. The P90 jammed!"

Beth smirked at him. "Whatever you say, Bry. I think your former teammates would disagree, though." The look he shot her promised future retaliation. She stretched as she sat up, almost hitting Radek in the process. "Sorry!" she said, running hand through her hair as she stifled a yawn. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Around 2100 hours or so. Which reminds me, I need to head off to bed. We've got an off world trading mission at 0800 and a briefing at 0700. You need anything from the market?" Bryan asked as he stood up.

"Bring me back some _hašlerky_. I'm almost out."

He rolled his eyes at that. "I doubt anyone will be selling Czech candy."

"You _did_ ask," she retorted.

"Yeah, I know. And somehow I always end up regretting it." He shook his head as he glanced skyward, stepping sideways to avoid the pillow she chucked at him. "See you tomorrow, kiddo." He leaned down to give her a quick hug, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before ruffling her hair. He winked at Radek as she swatted him.

"Night, Bry. Try to come home in one piece, would you?"

Bryan nodded and headed for the door, waving as he walked out. Within minutes he was sound asleep, his subconscious pondering scenarios for tomorrow's mission.

* * *

><p>AN: Hašlerky: This licorice and herbal hard candy was named after Mr Karel Hasler, a famous songwriter, actor and singer with a hoarse voice, who made a deal with the manufacturer of these supposedly medicinal candies.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Laughter, brain-storming, assistance, and beta skills courtesy of theicemenace. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

I'd also like to thank you for taking the time to read my version of Radek's life on Atlantis. I sincerely hope that he sounds and acts Czech, as well as being true to Atlantis canon.

Lady Pandora

* * *

><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter 5**

"So, what did you and Bryan talk about?" Beth asked as she stood up and hopped over to the desk. She picked up the carafe and tipped it over the waiting cup, a frustrated huff of air escaping when she discovered it was empty.

Radek looked her way. "What is wrong?"

"I forgot to steep more of the Athosian herbal mix Beckett prescribed."

Tugging the carafe from her grasp, he steered her to the desk chair and gently pushed her into the seat. "Let me. Just tell me what to do."

She gave him directions and watched as he quickly and efficiently made another batch of the medicine, turning in the seat to allow him room to maneuver around her. He handed her the cup and she thanked him, looking at him thoughtfully as she drank, trying to figure out what Bryan could have possibly told him that would have ended with what she jokingly referred to as the 'big brother speech'.

Radek avoided her gaze as he booted up his laptop and looked at the most recent results from a power consumption simulation he had left running, then skimmed through his inbox for any urgent messages. He closed the lid when she set the empty cup back on the desk, offering an arm for assistance as she made her way back to the couch before getting an ice pack for her knee. Moments later they were watching the opening sequence of another _Doctor Who_ episode. He contemplated what Bryan had said as they watched the Doctor fight something called a Dalek, which didn't look nearly as scary as a Wraith.

Finally he sighed, knowing that the only way to find out would be to ask. "Běta?"

She glanced up at him. "No, I'm not going to debate Daleks with you."

He chuckled at her comment, having forgotten what was playing. "Is about something else."

"Oh. Okay. Go ahead," she said distractedly, intent on the screen.

He looked down at the petite brunette tucked against him, wondering how to phrase what he wanted to know.

She looked up at him, curiosity in her green eyes. "Well?"

"Reynolds said you do not like people touching you," Radek tightened his arms briefly as he spoke, letting her know exactly what he was referring to.

"_Bryan_ has a big mouth." Beth sighed, knowing that he deserved more than her usual flippant non-answer. "I grew up in embassies all over Europe, and I spent a lot of time around adults. There were many foreign dignitaries and high-level officials who would ask to meet the daughter of the embassy's interpreter and the Marine commander, and not all of them had the purest of intentions. As a result, my dad had a very strict "hands off" policy when it came to his daughter, reinforced by those under his command. I was somewhat isolated, and learned the hard way not to trust anyone but my folks and the Marines at the embassy. My dad taught me skills like knife throwing and shooting, and my mom taught me languages and cultures, which led to me becoming, as Bryan puts it, 'very independent and stubborn'. We were affectionate in private, but never in public. A-after they died I refused to let anyone get close enough to cross those boundaries."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "Bryan would be the exception to that, simply because the man has never bothered to acknowledge the limits I tried to keep in place. His family is very 'touchy-feely', and when we became friends that somehow extended to me. He's my best friend, and I wouldn't trade him for the world, but there are days I could cheerfully use him for throwing practice," she said in exasperation.

"And your team?" he inquired.

"They know my limits. And how accurate I am with a knife," she said with a smirk.

"This still doesn't answer my question. Why me?"

"Short answer? Because I trust you. And I don't say that lightly." The serious expression on her face emphasized her statement, then dissolved a moment later into a mischievous grin as she switched to Czech. "_And if I can't trust a slightly scruffy Czech genie, who can I trust?_"

Radek burst out laughing. "_Scruffy I cannot argue with, but a genie? Where did that come from?_"

"Do you remember that first week after we arrived, the day I got my lab?" His cheeks reddened slightly as he nodded, having figured out where she was going with this. "This is how I remember that day…"

_**Late morning, Day 5 of the Atlantis Expedition**_

_When Beth answered the summons from McKay she found him in the main lab berating the scientists setting up equipment. She stifled a grin, glad it wasn't her on the receiving end. After spending months in Antarctica with him, she knew McKay well enough to realize that his abrasive personality was simply his way of keeping those he considered idiots (which was pretty much everyone else in existence) from bothering him. He saw her standing just inside the doorway and rapidly snapped his fingers as he said, "Lab space." He looked at her impatiently, obviously expecting her to know what he meant. _

"_I'm sorry?" she asked in confusion._

_Rodney heaved a sigh of annoyance and snapped, "You need lab space, right?" _

"_Yes, I do," she said warily. With McKay, one never knew where the conversation would end up going. _

"_Now you have it." He rattled off directions before turning to yell at another hapless scientist. "NO! No. No. No. What are you doing?! That's a very fragile piece of equipment and, unlike you, it can't be replaced." _

_She followed his directions to a room two levels up. A large Ancient console and screen took up the left wall, and a counter on the opposite wall could barely be seen behind the stack of boxes and equipment in front of it. She walked to the large window on the back wall, looking out over the city. A sudden burst of Czech caught her attention, and she turned towards the Ancient console to see a pair of legs sticking out from underneath, a laptop and several tools within easy reach. _

_Beth grinned and responded with a phrase in Ancient. _

_The legs jerked in surprise, and she heard a thud as something impacted with the console. "__Sakra__!" Radek swore in his native tongue as he slid out, rubbing his head with one hand and grimacing. "What did you say?"_

_Beth looked at him apologetically. "__Promiň__, Radek. I said what you did but in Ancient." _

_He smiled ruefully. "Ah. Is not the first time I have done that to myself. I was just finishing up interface connections. Should only take a moment to complete." He connected the wires leading underneath the console to the laptop sitting next to him, and handed it to her before vanishing back underneath the console. His muffled voice called up to her a moment later in a mixture of English and Czech. "Try it now. __You should have access to the mainframe and database__." She logged onto the laptop, and a moment later the large Ancient screen lit up, Ancient characters scrolling across it. Radek slid back out and made a few adjustments on the console. "__There. You should be good to go. What do you think of the lab__?"_

"_It's perfect!__" she enthused. "__All I need to do is unpack and let everyone know where to find me. I'm surprised to get a lab this soon.__ McKay told me yesterday that I'd get one when he got around to assigning more space." _

"_This room won't work for other scientists. McKay doesn't want to them to have labs with windows. __Something about unsupervised idiots blowing things up and not following procedures__,"he said with a grin. "__I suggested he assign the space to you. The Ancient console and screen will help you with research in the Ancient database, and you won't be doing anything dangerous or explosive__." _

"_Thanks, Radek."_

"_Rádo se stalo__. My lab is next one down the hall if you need anything," Radek responded, looking a bit flustered. Removing his glasses, he cleaned them on the edge of his shirt then replaced them on his face._

__Beth turned away, looking out the window with a smile playing on her lips. Whenever Radek needed a moment, to think or regain his composure, he would clean those glasses. It was obviously a long-time habit, and she wondered if he even knew he was doing it. Taking a few steps closer to the far wall, she eyed the window and the area below it._ "I wonder if I could find a couple chairs or a sofa to place underneath," she mused. "It would be a nice spot to take a break now and then." _

"_Is a good idea," Radek said thoughtfully. "I will let you know if one is found that will fit the space." At the tinny chirp, he tapped his earpiece. "This is Zelenka. Yes, yes. I know where that is, McKay. I'm on my way." Tapping it off, he said with annoyance, "__Someone touched something they shouldn't have, which means I get to deal with the mess. I will see you later__.__" Packing up his tools, Radek headed towards the door. _

"_Bye, Radek. Thanks again," she called after him. He turned and waved before trotting off down the hallway. _

_**Early afternoon**_

_When Beth got back to her lab after lunch she was surprised to see a small couch sitting underneath the window. She walked over to it, wondering how Radek had managed to find one so quickly. A noise from the doorway preceded a Marine carrying a small coffee table, which he placed in front of it. _

"_Thank you, Corporal," Beth said with a smile. _

"_You're welcome, ma'am," he replied. "My team found a storage room full of furniture while exploring this morning. Dr. Zelenka requested that we bring these items to your office." He turned and left. _

_She shook her head in amusement. "I'll have to be careful what I say if Radek is going to start playing genie every time I open my mouth!" A laugh escaped at the thought of the somewhat scruffy-looking Czech in a genie costume. _

_**Late that evening**_

_Beth was engrossed in the Ancient database when Radek peered in through the doorway. He could hear 80s rock playing through the speakers attached to her iPod. He smiled as he watched her sway slightly to the rhythm of the music while she typed, her short brown hair disheveled from the numerous times she'd run a hand through it. She growled in frustration when the music abruptly stopped. _

"_Damn it!" Beth blew out a breath as she picked up the iPod and looked at the screen. "Dead battery. Great. It's not like there's an outlet I can plug it into." She set it back down in disgust. _

_Radek slipped away to his lab to grab some tools and components before walking back to her lab and knocking on the doorframe. "Hullo," he called as he walked in. Beth waved a hand at him in greeting as she continued typing with the other. _

"_Hey, Radek. What can I do for you?" she said a moment later, turning towards him with a smile. _

_"Nothing," he replied. "I just need to do a little work in here." _

"_Be my guest." She waved a hand at him. "Do you need me to move anything?"_

_He shook his head as he bent down to look at the wall. Beth continued to type as Radek pried off a panel, muttering to himself as he worked. A few minutes later he replaced the panel and straightened up to reveal a surge protector plugged into an adapter, which was wired into the wall behind the panel. _Now how did he know I needed that?_ she thought. _I swear, that man really **is** a genie!

"_Do you have something to be charged?" he asked. She handed him the iPod and charger, watching as he plugged it in. "Hmmm… seems to be charging well," he murmured, then looked back at her. "Hand me the speaker, __pros__í__m__." He plugged it into the iPod and music once more eched in the room. _

_"Thank you! You're like my personal genie," she said with a grin. _

_Radek looked at her for a moment before saying, "We are friends, yes?" _

"_Yes, of course we are," she replied, bemused by his serious tone. _

"_And do friends not look out for and help one other? I am happy to do so for you." A shy smile lit up his face. _

_Beth stretched up to kiss his cheek, causing him to duck his head as his cheeks reddened. "Thanks, Radek. It's sweet of you to go to all this trouble for me." _

"_Rádo se stalo__," he replied bashfully. Radek cleaned his glasses on the edge of his shirt, using it as an excuse to compose himself before he replaced them and looked at her again. Her warm smile lessened his embarrassment. _

"_Do you have time to take a break? I have bottled water and some cookies," she offered, holding one bottle towards him. He took the proffered bottle, then took a seat on the couch. Beth grabbed another bottle and a baggie of cookies off the counter and sat down beside him, opening the baggie and holding it out to him. "This is the last of the batch I brought with me. Just don't tell Bryan; I told him they were all gone when he asked me earlier. If we were on Earth I'd bake you a whole batch of whatever type you like, but sharing the last few walnut chocolate chip cookies is all I can manage here." She waited for him to take one before she pulled one out for herself. _

_He took a bite, savoring the taste of the homemade cookie. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had one, but he was sure it hadn't been this good. "Thank you for sharing these with me. Is very good." _

"_You're welcome." Beth took another bite of the cookie in her hand, relishing the combination of chocolate chips and walnuts. _

Radek's cheeks were bright red by the time she finished, and he released her to remove his glasses and clean them on the edge of his shirt. "Was nothing," he said, so softly she almost missed it.

Beth reached up and put her fingers on his lips, startling him so that he looked at her, blue eyes more intense without the lenses. "To you it may have been nothing, but to me it was something that no one has done for me in a very long time, _and_ you did it without expecting anything in return. You have no idea what that meant to me. And here you are once again helping me." The smile on her face brightened the room. "You're one of a kind, Radek." She kissed his cheek, then slid back down and rested against his chest. He slipped his glasses back on, wrapping his arms around her as he thought about what she'd said.

* * *

><p>AN: Rádo se stalo - You're welcome


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** As always, beta skills provided courtesy of theicemenace, and she has graciously allowed me the loan of her OC Ayanna, an Athosian artist. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

If you enjoy this, please take a moment to review. Thank you!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

When the gate was activated, Teyla and Dr. Weir were in Weir's office reviewing a list of planets the Athosians knew to be friendly. The two women rose from their seats and stepped out into the control room.

"Have we received an IDC?" Dr. Weir asked.

Peter Grodin responded, "It's coming through right now." He checked the screen. "It's O'Reilly's IDC. Reynolds' team is returning from their trip to M2R-497. Their mission was to barter for supplies."

"Open the iris and inform the kitchen staff that their supplies are here."

Grodin opened the iris and Reynolds' team stepped through with several bags slung over their shoulders. Teyla noticed that Reynolds was holding what looked like a carved walking stick in one hand. "Excuse me, Dr. Weir. I must speak with Sergeant Reynolds."

"Of course, Teyla. We can arrange another meeting later, if necessary," Dr. Weir said, turning to head back to her office. "Peter, please have Reynolds and his team meet for a mission debrief in two hours."

Teyla quickly walked down to the lower level and down the hallway. "Sergeant Reynolds!" she called.

The four men stopped and turned to wait for her. "Ma'am," Bryan responded politely. His teammates exchanged looks; none of them had more than a passing acquaintance with the petite Athosian and wondered how she knew Reynolds.

"Teyla, please. I see you were successful at the market."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you for your suggestion. We," he indicated the other three men and himself, "thought that a proverb could be carved into this, something that would help Beth as she heals. Maybe something Athosian?"

"That's a lovely idea," said Teyla. "My friend Ayanna is a skilled artist, and could do the carving for you. I will be headed to the mainland later this afternoon if you would like to accompany me. And may I suggest one of my favorite sayings for it? _In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. _It's a reminder to…"

"Keep your head when those around you are losing theirs?" Bryan asked with a grin, as the other three men laughed.

Teyla smiled at him, a chuckle escaping as she replied, "Yes. Exactly."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Peter Grodin walked briskly down the corridor towards the mess hall. When he rounded the corner he saw Beth leaning against the wall, holding an adjustable metal cane in her right hand. "I apologize for being late; we had an unexpected dial-in. Were you waiting long?"

"Only a couple minutes. Beckett sent me to therapy after my check-up this morning." She lifted the cane and asked with a smile, "What do you think of my new accessory?"

He chuckled, and replied, "It's a definite improvement over the crutches, but I doubt it will catch on as a fashion statement."

Beth straightened, gingerly putting weight on the right knee as she slowly walked forward. Peter matched her stride, giving her an update on the most recent off world finds.

"If you get us a table, I'll get us something to eat," Peter said as they walked into the mess hall.

"Will do," Beth replied, moving past him to carefully make her way up the stairs and over to an empty table.

He joined her a few minutes later, setting down the tray between them as he took the seat opposite hers. "We have sandwiches, some fruit and what I believe are the Pegasus version of oatmeal cookies. And to complement our lunch…" he reached in a pocket and pulled out two tea infusers and a small pouch of loose leaf tea.

Her eyes brightened. "Is that-"

A smile appeared as he nodded. "I thought we deserved something special today. Be right back."

Soon the delightful smell of Peter's personal blend of tea permeated the air between them. "The tea should be ready now." Peter removed the infusers from both mugs and set them aside, then handed one mug to Beth before picking up the second one to take a drink from it. "Mmm. Perfect."

Beth took a sip from the mug, savoring the flavors in the tea. "Thanks."

He saluted her with his mug. "You're welcome. It's hard to find someone around here who appreciates a good cup of tea. Most everyone prefers coffee over other beverages." The cheeky grin on his face reminded her that he knew of her coffee addiction from their days in the Antarctic, and she laughed. The conversation was casual as they ate; Peter regaled her with the happenings in the command center over the last couple days and some of the funny comments he'd heard.

**Mid-afternoon**

The door chimed, pulling Beth out of a disturbing dream. She rubbed a hand over her face, and sat up slowly. _Crap! Haven't had that dream for years. I wonder if it has anything to do with the talk I had with Radek last night._ Reaching for the cane beside the bed, she slowly made her way to the door. The two men waiting on the other side grinned and she smiled back. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Thought we'd hang out for awhile, maybe watch a movie or two, if you're up to it," Josh said. "Bryan and Benji went to the mainland and we're on our own for the rest of the day."

"And you _do_ have the only decent entertainment system in town," Seamus added.

Beth shook her head at the pair, rolling her eyes as she stepped aside. "But no _Lethal Weapon_."

The two men grumbled, but agreed. After much debate, they settled on _Monty Python's The Life of Brian_. Beth reclined on one end of the couch with her leg propped on the stool, Seamus sat on the other end, and Josh once again lounged in the desk chair.

"Hey Beth, you ever thought about stabbing being quick? You know, as opposed to crucifixion?" Josh asked a bit later, hazel eyes looking at her questioningly.

Beth pursed her lips, pretending to think it over. "Not really. We could test the theory, though." Reaching for her belt knife, she pulled it from the sheath and flipped it around. "Just hold still for a moment."

Holding his hands up in front of his face, Josh shook his head. "Hell no! Put that thing away before you hurt someone… like me!"

"Wuss. I thought Marines were tough," she said with a laugh.

"We are! Difference is, the average Marine doesn't have to deal with a crazy, knife-throwing linguist." He ducked when she mimed throwing the knife at him. Seamus cracked up, holding his hands out in surrender as she turned towards him.

"You two have been hanging out with Bry way too much," Beth grumbled, pretending to be annoyed.

"Part of the job," Seamus pointed out. "Besides, he promised to give us pointers in handling difficult women."

Her eyebrows rose as she looked at him. "He did, did he?"

Josh was laughing so hard he fell out of the desk chair. "Way to go, Seamus. Now we're _all_ in trouble."

"Just watch the movie," Beth sighed in mock exasperation, slipping the knife back into its sheath. The guys grinned at each other, happy to see their teammate acting more like herself. Wrapping the Athosian blanket around herself, she leaned back against the couch, her eyes slowly closing as she listened to the movie and the occasional comments from the guys.

A touch on her arm startled her awake, and she instinctively reached for her belt knife.

"Whoa! Easy. It's just me." Beth blinked as she registered Josh's familiar voice, pulling herself out of the horrible nightmare, relieved to find herself safe in her quarters. "You were having one _hell_ of a dream."

She looked up into the concerned faces of her teammates, her body shivering as the last of the nightmare dissipated, leaving behind a frightening aftertaste. "I think the medicine is effecting me."

"You're shaking like a leaf," Josh said quietly.

Seamus asked, "Anything we can do?"

"No. I'll…. I'll be fine. Just give me a minute." Closing her eyes, she used a yoga breathing technique as she resolutely pushed away the lingering effects of the nightmare. Several minutes later she realized it was having little effect on her. "Seamus, let me have my earpiece," she requested, holding out a shaky hand.

"You know you're not supposed to…" he started to say.

"Just _give_ me the damn thing!" Beth snapped, her fragile control slipping.

The two Marines exchanged a look before he silently handed it to her. Hooking it over one ear she tapped it to activate it, taking a deep breath before speaking to hide the quaver in her voice. "Noble to Zelenka."

"_This is Zelenka." _A pause, then he spoke to her in Czech._ "Běta? What is wrong_?_"_

Beth bit her lip and responded shakily, "_I… I need you. Please_."

"_I'll be there in a few minutes."_

Handing the earpiece back to Seamus, she pulled the blanket tightly around herself and laid back against the couch. "Can you stay until Radek gets here?"

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

An urgent call early that morning took Radek and his team to a remote area of the city. They finally tracked down the source of the power surge several hours later, and after a quick repair job made their way back to the main tower.

The other members of his team headed to the mess hall as Radek walked back to his lab, where he typed up a succinct report and sent it on its way. He opened his inbox, rolling his eyes as several urgent emails from McKay popped up immediately. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. _Rodney will just have to wait_, he thought as he rummaged through a couple shelves in search of his stash of energy bars. The hiding place had to be changed every few days to keep Rodney from finding it.

Two energy bars later he was in a much better frame of mind, and ready to tackle whatever had happened while he was away. He skimmed through the emails tagged as urgent, sending several on to members of his team before tackling the most pressing one. _Rodney could do this himself if he spent more time working and less time yelling at people._ A quick scan through the coding for the locker rooms and the lack of hot water was fixed.

_One down, twenty to go. If people would quit playing in areas they shouldn't have access to, this wouldn't happen._ Quickly typing another email, he sent McKay another reminder to check the security access of those he'd identified as possible culprits. _Maybe __**now**__ he'll finally do something about it._

His earpiece chirped and he heard Beth's voice. "This is Zelenka." Radek paused for a moment, then switched to Czech. "_Běta? What is wrong?_" At her reply he shut down the laptop and slipped it under an arm, then quickly walked towards the living quarters.

He waved a hand over the sensor, a bit surprised to see Josh when the door slid open. The three men exchanged a look before Josh and Seamus slipped out, leaving him alone with Beth.

Setting his laptop down on the low table, he took a seat on the couch beside her. "Hullo, Běta." Beth pressed against him, and he felt her shaking. "What happened?" Radek asked quietly.

"Remember me saying that I learned the hard way not to trust others? Twice today I've had a flashback to what happened, and I need someone I trust completely to be here for me," she responded in a low voice. "My teammates are good guys, but..." Beth trailed off, not knowing how else to phrase it.

"What do you need?"

"Just… hold me. Please." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Always." Holding her gently, he ran a hand soothingly down her back, releasing her when she gently pushed against his chest with one hand and sat up. "Do you want to talk about it?" Radek asked quietly, as she reached for the cane and stood up. He started to help and she shook her head at him.

"I…n-not yet. Excuse me," she said, as she headed for the bathroom. He opened the laptop and worked on a project while he waited. When she emerged several minutes later he closed the lid and sat back, watching as she carefully maneuvered across the room.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth kept her eyes on the floor as she walked back to the couch and the man waiting for her. The memories that she normally kept shoved down in the deepest part of her mind refused to remain down there today. Part of her wanted to talk about it and part of her still wanted to pretend that it had never happened. She flashed back to that dark room and stumbled, feeling her control slip a little more.

Warm hands gently guided her to the couch and she sat down, green eyes unseeing, as he propped her leg up on the stool and placed an ice pack on it, then sat down beside her. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her legs and her face in her hands, trying to figure out where to start. Radek rubbed her back, giving what comfort he could.

A few minutes later she sat up, pulling away to the far end of the couch. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, then focused on her hands as she talked, describing the events of the kidnapping.

* * *

><p>AN: _Monty Python's The Life of Brian_ is a movie parody set during the life of Christ. The comments about stabbing and crucifixion come from the following dialogue:

Centurion: You know the penalty laid down by Roman law for harboring a known criminal?

Matthias: No.

Centurion: Crucifixion!

Matthias: Oh.

Centurion: Nasty, eh?

Matthias: Could be worse.

Centurion: What you mean "Could be worse"?

Matthias: Well, you could be stabbed.

Centurion: Stabbed? Takes a second. Crucifixion lasts hours. It's a slow, horrible death.

Matthias: Well, at least it gets you out in the open air.

Centurion: You're weird!

A/N 2: The saying Teyla suggested is an actual quote from Deepak Chopra: In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Laughter, brain-storming, assistance, and beta skills courtesy of theicemenace. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

If you enjoy this, please take a moment to review. Thank you!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Radek leaned back against the couch, adopting a non-threatening pose as he waited for Beth to speak. Her body language screamed 'keep away', and he flashed back to a memory of his aunt in the same pose the night his uncle and cousin were brutally murdered by soldiers. The event had traumatized her so badly that she resorted to drink to dull the pain, and died a few years later of what his mother said was a broken heart.

Beth spoke quietly as memories were dredged up from the darkest corner of her mind. "When I was nine we were living in Barcelona. There was a big party at the embassy to celebrate Becca's birthday. It was my first grown-up party, and I was so excited. I had a new pale pink dress with embroidered flowers and matching slippers bought especially for that night."

"There were twelve of us there, along with several local kids. Fourteen year old Thomas was the oldest and Becca had just turned three. A couple hours after the party started there was a large commotion. My dad ordered a couple Marines to collect all of the kids and take us to a secure back room. They locked us in and stood guard outside the door."

"We also had Becca's au pair, Jana, in the room with us. She was nineteen, and had been hired just a few weeks before. I remember that the room was dark and that several of the kids were crying." The memory unspooled in her mind as she talked.

"Several shots rang out, and the door opened to reveal four armed men. One of the men ordered Jana to point out the embassy kids, and tell them to go with them. She repeated the demand in English, telling us it would be better to cooperate."

"They took us out back to a van and sometime later we were led from the van to a windowless room with some pallets on the floor. The only light came from a couple bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. I have no idea how long we were in there before the men came back. They asked us about the Marines, embassy security, stuff that none of us really knew anything about. Jana pointed at me and told them I was the commander's daughter. One of them grabbed me and rattled off a bunch of questions in Spanish, which Jana translated. My answer earned me a hard slap and a good shake."

Radek shifted slightly and she reacted instinctively, grabbing the knife out of its sheath and flipping it to a throwing position. He froze in place as she watched him warily, murmuring soothingly to her in Czech as he waited for her to come back from wherever she had gone. It felt like an eternity before she shuddered and took a deep breath, sheathing the knife with one hand as she reached out with the other to touch his knee.

"I-I'm sorry, Radek. I didn't mean to…."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to be sorry for, _beruška_."

She laughed at hearing her mom's favorite nickname for her. "I haven't been called ladybug since I was a teenager."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth leaned back against the couch, eyes moving restlessly about the room as she continued. "I convinced to get the other kids, like Thomas, to plan a way to escape. Jana tried to talk us out of it, but I was determined. We tied together sashes from our dresses to create a sort-of rope to trip them, and waited for them to come back. It didn't work. I fought them using every trick I could think of from watching the Marines train, but all it earned me was a split lip and some bruises."

"They didn't know I understood them. Mom had been teaching me Romanian before we moved to Spain, which is similar enough to Spanish that it had been relatively easy to pick up. The biggest man held me up by my hair and shook me as he asked me more questions. Jana translated them into English and I answered in Czech, which earned me a beating and a trip to a stuffy dark closet down the hall." Beth's voice was filled with pain, the effort of dredging up the past clearly taking its toll. A tear rolled down each cheek and she wiped them away with a sniffle.

"I… it's all blurred together after that. Every time I heard footsteps approaching I was terrified that they were coming to get me." She was shaking, shivering, arms wrapped tightly around her body as she talked. "It was freezing in the closet. All I had was my thin dress. My shoes were gone; removed when they tossed me in the closet. I couldn't do anything but curl up on the floor and wait. I knew Daddy would find me, but I didn't know when." A sudden noise came from the hallway and she jumped, eyes darting around the room in search of danger.

"There was an explosion, and gunfire. The door opened and the big man grabbed my arm, pulling me up off the floor. He held me against him, and dragged me backward down the hall yelling that he'd kill me if the soldiers didn't let him go. I-I looked for Daddy, but didn't see him. Then, I heard a shot. The man's arm tightened around me and we fell forward with him on top of me. I screamed and cried for my dad. Someone rolled the man off of me. I was picked up and someone was talking to me, but I couldn't understand. Everything just seemed to… slow down. And then Daddy was there."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek sat for a moment, absorbing what she had said. His heart went out to the frightened little girl inside the strong woman he knew. He slowly rose and walked over to the desk to brew a cup of hot tea, then knelt down in front of her and held out the cup. "Běta? Drink this, _beruška_, it will help."

She took it from him almost hesitantly, fingers curling around the cup to soak in its warmth as she raised it to her lips and slowly sipped. Her tremors eased as the warmth spread through her body, and he was relieved to see some color come back into her face. When he softly touched her hand Beth trembled, but didn't shy away.

Radek leaned closer, moving slowly to keep from startling her, and gently pushed her hands down to her lap. He brushed his fingers across her cheek and down her jaw, watching her reaction to his touch. Her breathing stuttered slightly and her eyes drifted shut as he focused on her soft lips. His earpiece chirped loudly, making them both jump, and he pulled back as Rodney's strident voice called his name.

"This is Zelenka." He stood up and walked away, listening as Rodney told him about the planet of children and the ZedPM he'd brought back.

"_Where are you? You're supposed to be babysitting these idiots while I'm off world." _

"Something came up…" he started to say, only to be cut off by Rodney.

"_Don't care. Meet me at the power station. Now, Zelenka."_

"I'll be there shortly. Zelenka out." He turned back towards the couch with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Běta," he said regretfully. "I have to go." He held her hand, looking into her eyes for some signal that she needed him more than Rodney did.

Beth smiled. "Go. I'll be here when you get back. And don't worry. I'll be fine."

Radek pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, unfolding it and tucking it around her. He brushed a hand across her cheek, then picked up his laptop and headed out the door, turning to look back with a smile as the door slid closed.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth leaned back against the couch, her thoughts moving from what she'd told Radek to the lab explosion before fixating on the memory of his hand brushing her cheek and what might have happened if Rodney hadn't interrupted. _When did we go from friends to… whatever that is?_ She raised a hand to her cheek, feeling the heat from her blush.

The warmth of the blanket chased away the last lingering chill as she pondered her feelings about Radek. Aside from her therapist a few years back, she'd never told anyone the whole story of the kidnapping. All Bryan knew was that she'd experienced a traumatic event in her childhood. _I think it's time to finally lay the demons to rest once and for all. I want to be free to see if this is meant to be something._ Having made the decision, she rose from the couch and walked over to the desk to pick up her earpiece. "Noble to Heightmeyer."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Bryan walked to the rear of the Jumper and lowered the hatch. He was surprised to see Seamus and Josh standing there waiting. "I thought you two were keeping Beth company."

"We were." Josh quickly filled him in on what had happened.

"Shit!" Bryan swore as he took off for the living quarters, his team right behind him. He remembered all too well her reaction to Daniel's death, and to a foothold situation at the SGC. He slowed to a walk as he rounded the corner and saw her door, turning to face the three men behind him. "Look, I know you want to help, but I need to do this alone." He raised a hand, silencing their protests. "It's not my story to tell. If Beth decides to tell you she will. I'll catch up with you all later."

The trio watched as he walked to the door and waved a hand over the sensor. A moment later the door opened and he walked inside. "Hey, kiddo." He reached out to touch her hand, pulling it back before she noticed the movement. "Beth? The guys said you had a nightmare. Want to talk about it?"

"Not really." She waved him towards the couch.

Bryan waited until she had taken a seat before moving to the opposite end of the couch. His body language was relaxed, hands turned palms up to show he wasn't a threat. "Please, let me help. You don't have to do this alone."

"I-I wasn't alone. Radek was here." Her cheeks turned pink as she remembered his touch.

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Something you'd like to share?"

"No," she replied hastily.

"Sounds like I need to have a talk with Dr. Z," he said in a mock-serious voice, smirking as her blush deepened.

"Bryan! Don't you dare!" She shot him a dirty look as one hand moved to the handle of her belt knife.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Not a word." He switched to a serious tone, looking intently at her face. "All kidding aside, what can I do to help? Tell me what you need and I'll make it happen."

"I just need some space for a few days," she responded quietly. "I'm okay with you and Radek, but I don't want to deal with anyone else right now."

"You scared the shit out of O'Reilly and Marx."

She sighed. "I know. I… just tell them I need some time, and make sure they understand that it wasn't anything they did. I have an appointment with Heightmeyer in the morning; I need to work through this and stop pretending it never happened."

"You know, we've never talked about it, not the details anyway. How about telling _me_ the story? That way it won't be so hard when you talk to Heightmeyer." Beth just looked at him, not saying a word. "I know, I know. I'm the poster child for smart-ass remarks."

She grinned at that. "Well, now that you mention it…"

"You know me, Beth," he said earnestly. "I won't judge. I just want to support you however I can."

She reached out and touched his hand. "I know, Bry. And I… I want to tell you." She took a deep breath, leaning back against the couch as she started to speak. "When I was nine, my father was assigned to the American Embassy in Barcelona…"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** As always, beta skills courtesy of theicemenace, along with considerable help on the first half of the chapter. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter ****8**

Bryan walked with Beth to Dr. Heightmeyer's office the next morning, giving her a reassuring smile as she stopped and took a deep breath.

"You can do this," he said encouragingly.

She looked up at him and nodded. "Thanks, Bry."

"No prob. Call me when you're done." He watched her walk into the office, then headed down the corridor.

A few minutes later he knocked on the doorframe of Major Sheppard's office. "Sir? Do you have a moment?"

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

John Sheppard looked up from the paperwork he was trying to work on, a look of relief and puzzlement crossing his face at seeing Sgt. Bryan Reynolds standing in his doorway. He loathed the administrative side of his job, and had assigned the "busy work" to Stackhouse and Bates. However, both teams were currently off world and Weir was bugging him to complete it before the next dialout scheduled for 0700 tomorrow. The Marine looked uncomfortable and just a little nervous, two words he would never have associated with Reynolds until now.

Sheppard motioned him in. He took precisely two steps into the room, his posture stiffening into something midway between full attention and parade rest. "Thank you for seeing me, Major."

Nodding at the vacant chair, Sheppard waited for Reynolds to sit. "What's on your mind, Sergeant?"

"I'd like to make a request, sir." Sheppard nodded, motioning for him to continue. Reynolds looked down at his boot tops and back up. "You're aware that Dr. Noble was injured a few days ago?"

Stopping a mildly annoyed sigh, Sheppard stated shortly, "Not much happens on Atlantis I don't know about, Sarge. What's your point?"

Looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else, Reynolds explained, "The explosion triggered PTSD from a childhood trauma."

"And now Noble is having flashbacks." Sheppard uncrossed his legs and sat forward, elbows resting on the desk, wishing he didn't understand what the other man was feeling. "She seeing Heightmeyer?"

Bryan nodded. "Yes, she's with her now. She doesn't have any family except me, and her teammates."

Leaning back in his chair, Sheppard looked at the Marine appraisingly. "Say no more, Sarge. I'll have your missions assigned to other teams so you'll be close by, just in case."

The younger man sagged with relief. "Thanks, Major."

Standing, Sheppard signaled that their meeting was at an end. "Been there. Done that. And having people you trust to lean on helps in dealing with a past trauma."

Keeping his feet until Reynolds had gone, Sheppard swore to himself at one more fire to put out.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Moving quickly down the hall, Bryan headed for the gym to find his team. Glancing around at as he walked in, he quickly spotted Seamus' red head in the far corner where he was watching Josh and Benji spar. Walking over to the mat, he stood next to Seamus as the pair finished their workout.

Several minutes later the four men walked out of the gym to a small meditation room just down the hall. Bryan closed the door and turned to face the other three, who were looking at him expectantly. He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, but before he could speak one of them jumped in.

"What the f*** happened?" Josh asked abruptly, too impatient to wait any longer. "One minute she's snoozing and the next she's completely," he made a gesture meant to simulate a head exploding, "freaked out. Reminds me of a buddy who got PTSD after two tours in Iraq. Guy drowned himself in the bottle to escape, and then he just..."

"I can't tell the story. That's for Beth to decide when or if she wants you to know the details. The important thing is she's getting help. Wants you to know," he looked at his teammates, "nothing you did caused this, guys." Bryan rubbed his forehead to ease the ache that started between his eyes. "Shit! She was...she was just a kid when it happened."

"Bryan, you okay?" Seamus asked, looking at him in concern.

He nodded. "Yeah. I just feel bad for the kid, you know? Hell of a thing to go through. She asked that you give her some space to deal with it. Major Sheppard is assigning our missions to other teams so we can be close by just in case she needs us."

"We're her team," Benji said emphatically. "We protect our own."

"Yeah. We've got this." Josh stated. In short order they had a schedule worked out so that one of them would always be near to keep an eye on things.

Bryan's earpiece chirped and he tapped it. "This is Reynolds."

"_I'm done for the day. Walk me home?_"

"Be there in a moment. Reynolds out." Tapping it off Bryan shared a final look with the others, noting their determination to help their teammate and wishing he could get Beth to open up and trust them fully. He waved a hand over the door sensor and headed out as soon as it opened.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

The weekly meeting between the head of the Science Department and his 2IC took up most of the morning. Radek was secretly relieved when someone in the Botany lab triggered an alarm, and he quickly made his escape while McKay was otherwise occupied. He held a brief meeting with his staff, outlining assignments and prioritizing outstanding requests, then informed them that he would be available via the comm or email for the next couple days while he dealt with a private matter. "Call me immediately if McKay comes looking for me, but otherwise I trust you all to use your best judgment."

He spent the majority of the afternoon dealing with things that couldn't wait, finally closing the laptop with sigh. The muscles in his back and shoulders protested as he straightened, and he wished for a good masseuse. His watch beeped and he looked down, shocked to see that it was almost 1800 hours. _Do prdele! I told Beth I'd be done mid-afternoon._

Twenty minutes later he rounded the corner to find Marx standing guard outside Beth's quarters. The dark-headed soldier nodded at him as he neared the door. "Evening, Dr. Z."

"And to you," he responded. "If I may ask, why are you guarding the door?"

"Just keeping watch over a teammate," Marx replied.

Radek eyed him shrewdly. "She doesn't know you're here, does she?"

The Marine just grinned as he waved a hand over the door sensor to alert those inside. "Doesn't matter. This is my home until I'm relieved."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek entered slowly, a tray of food balanced on his tablet. Bryan was pulling knives out of a target hanging about three feet to the left of the door as Beth watched from the couch, leg propped up on the stool and a bandolier in her lap.

"Hey, Radek," she said with a smile. "Bry brought the target from my office and we've been practicing. He hasn't actually hit the center yet, but he's getting closer."

Bryan nodded a greeting at him, then shot Beth a dirty look as he walked over to her, knives in one hand. "You've got a few years' practice on me, brat." He handed her the knives and she quickly slid them into the bandolier.

"Excuses, excuses," she retorted. "Lucky for you dinner's arrived." She smiled at Radek as he carefully set the tray down on the low table, then placed his laptop on the desk.

Bryan poured her a cup of Athosian tea from the carafe on the desk, snagging a couple bottles of water for himself and the scientist from the cooler. He nudged the desk chair over with his foot and handed the mug to Beth before taking a seat. Radek perched on the edge of the couch as he assembled a plate of food and passed it to Beth. Handing the second one to Bryan, he took the last one for himself, sitting back with a soft sigh.

"Radek? You okay?" Beth asked, reaching out a hand to touch his leg.

His gentle smile relieved her concern. "I'm fine. Just a bit sore from sitting hunched over the computer all afternoon."

The trio chatted as they ate, then Bryan stood to go. "I'll take the tray back to the mess hall." Beth crooked a finger at him, beckoning him to come closer. He walked over and knelt down in front of her. "Yes?"

"Thanks, Bry." She gave him a swift hug, laughing when his hand slid up to ruffle her hair. "See you in the morning."

"Night, kiddo. Be good for Dr. Z." His blue eyes twinkled as he grinned and dodged the hand that reached up to swat him. He stood, picking up the tray of dishes, and looked at Radek, lowering his voice so she wouldn't hear. "Call if you need me."

Radek nodded and wished him a good night. As the door closed behind the Marine, he turned to look at Beth. "What shall we watch tonight, Běta? More _Doctor Who_?" he asked wryly.

She sighed, running one hand through her limp locks of hair. "What I _really_ want to do is wash my hair."

"Easy to do. Give me a moment and we'll take care of it." He rose to his feet and offered her a hand, helping her to rise.

Beth leaned on the cane and waved him away, following him to the bathroom. She watched from the doorway as he moved the desk chair to the sink and adjusted its height, then collected shampoo and conditioner from the shower caddy and towels from the shelf.

Once he had everything gathered, he offered her the chair, which she sank into gratefully, and draped a towel over her shoulders. "Let me know if the temperature needs adjusting," he said as he leaned her head back under the water.

She closed her eyes and relaxed as his fingers massaged her scalp, working the shampoo through her hair. The simple act was more sensual than expected, and she shivered as his breath ghosted across her neck, her cheeks turning pink as her body reacted. Closing her eyes heightened her other senses; the slide of his hands through her hair as he rinsed away the bubbles sent her mind back to the other day and the touch of his hand on her cheek. Beth blushed at the thought that crossed her mind as he gently applied the conditioner, his fingers caressing her head. Her breath stuttered when he leaned over to rinse her hair a second time; he was so close she could feel the heat from his body. A sigh escaped her lips as his thumbs rubbed her temples for a moment, then gently wrapped her head in a soft towel.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek focused on the task, gently working his hands through her hair as the shampoo lathered. He blew out a small puff of air as he worked, leaning over her slightly as he rinsed off the soap and squeezed out the excess water. Reaching for the conditioner he squirted some on her hair, his fingers stroking as they slid through the damp strands. Taking a deep breath, he gave himself a stern taking-to as he finished rinsing, squeezed the water out, and turned the faucet off. _Not the time, Radek._ He reached for a towel and draped it over one shoulder, then gently tipped her upright. His hands seemed to move of their own volition, thumbs slowly rubbing her temples for a moment before he pulled the towel off his shoulder and wrapped her damp hair in the towel. "Běta, where is a comb or brush?"

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth opened her eyes, slowly coming back to reality, and indicated the middle drawer in the cabinet. "In there." A hand reached for her cane and she got to her feet, heading back into the other room as Radek quickly put things away. Perched on the edge of the couch, she was lost in thought as she looked down at the brace. She started when Radek sat down beside her; he rubbed her arm reassuringly, toweling her hair to remove most of the moisture before reaching for the hairbrush on the table. He slipped a hand under the hair at her neck, stroking gently through the damp strands as he worked his way up to the crown, and she relaxed against him as he brushed one side, then the other, careful to keep his hand between her ear and the bristles, then finished with her bangs.

He set the brush aside and held up a hand mirror. "What do you think? I am good for an amateur, yes?"

Beth turned her head from side to side as she looked at her reflection, smiling as she met his eyes in the mirror. "You're better than my last hairstylist."

He winced as he set the mirror down on the table. She sat up slightly and turned to look at him, not realizing how close he was until she moved. Her green eyes widened and she quickly leaned back as her cheeks reddened. "I-if you turn around I can rub your shoulders," she offered.

Radek gave her a soft smile then presented his back to her. She worked on the knots with a firm but gentle pressure, and he sighed with relief as the muscles relaxed. Her hands massaged his neck and on his scalp, fingers making their way to his temples to rub gently for a moment.

**Late that night**

Radek woke abruptly, disoriented for a moment at the unfamiliar blurry surroundings, and then remembered he was on the couch in Beth's quarters. Reaching for his glasses, he slipped them on as another cry echoed in the room, moving quickly through the darkened space to kneel down beside the bed as he reached out to gently touch her shoulder. "Běta…_ It's only a dream,_ _beruška. You need to wake up." _He could feel her whole body shaking as she fought the effects of the nightmare.

Her eyes opened and she shuddered as she slowly came back to reality. "_R-Radek_?" Beth spoke so softly he almost missed it, her hand stretching out to touch his face as if making sure he was really there.

"_Ano, miláčku, it's me. You're safe,"_ he said soothingly as he gently stroked her hair. He wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his shoulder, her whole body trembling. They stayed that way for several minutes before she pulled back.

"Radek?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Will you… will you stay with me? Hold me? Please?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course, Běta. Whatever you need," Radek replied quietly, setting his glasses in the bedside table. She rolled onto her side as he slipped under the blanket, one arm around her waist to hold her close. "Is this okay?"

He felt her nod as she relaxed against him. "Thank you," she said softly, sliding a hand out from under the sheet to curl in his. He squeezed her hand gently as he listened to her breathe, waiting for her to fall asleep before he allowed himself to follow her into slumber.

**The next morning**

Beth woke slowly, the unaccustomed warmth against her back comforting. She shifted slightly and an arm tightened around her waist, causing her to flush as she realized what, or rather who, was the source of the warmth. She carefully lifted Radek's arm and slipped out of the bed, turning to look at the sleeping figure for a moment before escaping to the bathroom.

She splashed water on her face, drying it on a towel, then looked at her reflection. The woman in the mirror looked back with green eyes that hinted at the pain inside, but also had a bit of a sparkle to go with the heightened color on her cheeks. Her short brown hair was sleep-tousled and she ran a hand through the shaggy locks in an attempt to bring them under a semblance of control. A noise from the other room reminded her of the man she'd left sleeping in her bed. After smoothing her tank top down she opened the door and stepped out, leaning on the cane as she turned to close the door behind her.

A smile tugged at her lips as she looked at the man sprawled across her bed. A quick glance at the clock on the bedside table reminded her that Bryan would be arriving soon with breakfast. She leaned down and touched his arm to wake him, too startled to resist as his hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her down for a lingering kiss. A moment later his hand slid down and he fell back to the bed, still asleep. Beth quickly stepped away, one hand touching her lips as she stared down at him.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** As always, beta skills courtesy of theicemenace, along with the usual assistance and laughter. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

Oh, I forgot to do this the last few chapters: Everything associated with the Stargate franchise is not, unfortunately, owned by me. I merely play in the sandbox and add my own OCs to the mix.

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><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter 9**

Radek drifted, dreaming about the woman he'd held in his arms all night. She touched his arm, and he pulled her down for a slow kiss. He felt her surprise at first, followed by acquiescence as she kissed him back, her lips soft against his. A moment later he released her and she climbed in bed, snuggling against him as he pulled her close.

Someone called his name, and he was reluctantly pulled from the dream. "Radek. Radek, wake up. Wake up, Radek."

"Mmmm. Yes, yes, I'm awake," he mumbled, opening his eyes as he fumbled for his glasses. He slipped them on, still thinking about the dream as he focused on the figure standing a few feet away. Beth stood facing him, one hand playing with her hair as she looked at him almost wistfully. Then her words registered and he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Bryan will be here with breakfast shortly, and I would just as soon not try to explain why we were sharing a bed last night. We're both adults, and nothing happened," her cheeks turned pink, "but he'll tease me unmercifully if he knows."

"Not if he knows what's good for him," Radek said, fully prepared to make good on his earlier threat if necessary. He disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, re-emerging as she finished straightening the bed covers. Her back was to him, and his eyes moved up her bare legs to the shorts, continuing up her slender frame to the tousled hair. He moved past her towards the couch, one hand smoothing his hair down as he walked.

"Leave it alone," Beth called out to him, laughter in her voice. "I like the mad scientist look on you."

He spun around, shaking a finger at her in mock annoyance. "Is _not_ a look to be taken seriously, Běta. McKay would... what is word?"

"Umm… harass?" she suggested with a grin.

Radek nodded. "Yes, that is it. He would harass me all day."

**Later that morning**

Bryan waited patiently outside Heightmeyer's office, nodding at those who passed as he leaned against the wall and chatted with Benji. The door opened and Beth walked out, head turned as she thanked the occupant for her help.

"Watch it, Beth." Bryan grabbed her shoulder to prevent her from running into him.

She flinched then relaxed as she looked up to see who had touched her, an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, Bry." She smiled at the other man. "Hey, Benji. Your turn to walk me home?"

"Yes, ma'am." He gestured for her to go ahead and fell in beside her, one eye on her in case she needed steadying and the other on their surroundings.

She laughed at the chagrin on his face. "You really think you could stand guard and I wouldn't notice? My dad's a Marine too, remember?"

"Ready for lunch?" Bryan asked, looking down at her. "Not sure what's being served, but I heard rumors of fresh fruit for dessert. Stackhouse's team just came back from a trading mission on P3X-581."

"One condition."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Can we make it a team lunch on the mess hall balcony? I… I need to stop hiding; it effects my ability to work through it." The two men gave her identical grins, and it warmed her to know that they cared enough to keep watch over her.

Thirty minutes later, the five of them were gathered at a table on the balcony, meals all but devoured. Beth looked at the four men surrounding her, a wide smile on her face as she listened to them banter back and forth.

Bryan picked up a bunch of grapes, grinning mischievously as he asked, "Hey kiddo, you want to practice throwing this afternoon?"

She slid the knife out of its sheath as she replied, "Maybe. Are you volunteering to hold them?" She flipped the knife back and he hastily dropped them, causing the other three men to roar with laughter.

Dark-haired Josh ducked as Bryan reached out to smack the back of his head, jostling the table and knocking Benji's cup off the edge.

"Hey! Shit! Watch it!" Benji and Seamus both reached for it, knocking heads as they missed it entirely. The cup shattered and coffee splashed across the floor.

Josh jumped up from his seat in an attempt to escape the hot liquid, foot slipping as his boot caught the edge of the spill. He swore as he crashed into Bryan's chair and landed sideways, hitting the side of his chair hard enough to send it spinning out from the table.

Beth snickered, the sound turning into full-blown laughter as she watched a simple accident turn into a _Three Stooges_ routine. _I should have done this sooner_, she thought. _This is exactly what I needed._

The four men looked up at the sound of someone clearing a throat, quickly rising to their feet. Amused brown eyes looked at the four of them, taking in the situation in one sweeping glance. "As you were, gentlemen. And make sure you clean up the mess." Elisabeth Weir walked away, heading straight for the doors that opened onto the balcony.

Looks were exchanged between the four as they silently argued, until Bryan broke the silence with a single gesture. "Enough. Let's just get this cleaned up and pretend it never happened."

The quartet quickly set things to rights. Eyes on the floor as he searched for pieces of the mug, Bryan failed to notice that Beth's walking stick was directly behind him. He jumped back as Josh pushed a chair to the table, too quickly for her to do more than watch as he went sprawling, right into the path of the nurse he'd been flirting with for the last week. She laughed as she stepped over him. "Shit. Just great," Bryan muttered as he watched her walk away. He glared at Beth, who was laughing too hard to say anything.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Sheppard and McKay walked out on the balcony, deep in discussion about an underwater Jumper. They took a seat at a small table and started to eat, McKay gesturing as he explained. "You're ignoring the amount of time, _my_ time, it would take just to make the necessary calculations. Assuming that the cloak _can_ be adapted for this, the amount of pressure on the Jumper will increase exponentially as you descend, causing the shield to draw more and more power."

"Come on, McKay," Sheppard wheedled. "You're always telling me you can do _anything_."

McKay snorted. "Because I _can_, but that's not the point. I have better things to do than indulge your fantasy of finding mermaids underneath the city, things like keeping the city functioning and my underlings from blowing us up."

Sheppard smirked, opening his mouth to retort, then turned his head as a burst of laughter came from a table several feet away. Reynolds and his team were sitting with Noble, all of them convulsed with laughter. A hand appeared in front of him, fingers snapping in annoyance.

"Hello? Talking here." McKay said irritably. "What are you looking at, anyway?" His eyes followed the movement of Sheppard's head as he inclined it towards the small group. "Oh. Well, at least Noble's not hiding anymore. Maybe now I can get Zelenka to actually do some work for a change." He continued on in that vein, oblivious to the look Sheppard shot him.

Sheppard took another bite of his sandwich, wondering once again why he continued to put up with the arrogant scientist. _Oh yeah, because he really __**is**__ as smart as he thinks. If anyone can convert a Jumper for underwater exploration it'll be him._ He glanced up as the quartet of Marines, with Noble in the middle, walked past their table. He acknowledged Reynolds with a tilt of his head; the Marine nodded, his eyes flicking sideways to the petite brunette and back.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Bryan glanced at his watch, then looked at his teammates. "Time for our training session." Beth gave him a questioning look as the other three quickly dealt with the detritus from their meal. "Firearms training. Want to watch? Or you could show us how it's done…" he suggested with a grin, hoping she'd opt to go rest but wanting to keep things light and make her feel included.

Beth chuckled. "Think I'll sit this one out, if you don't mind. I'm about ready for a nap."

"Sounds good to me," Benji said as he held out an arm for Beth. She rose slowly, leaning on him momentarily as her knee objected. "How about it, Reynolds? Naps instead of training?"

Seamus scoffed. "Idiot. You need the practice more than anyone else."

"Hey!" Benji protested. "You're a worse shot than me." He shoved Seamus, who immediately retaliated.

"Knock it off, you two," Josh shook his head as he handed Beth her cane. "Pay no attention to those two clowns. We'll have to get you back on the range as soon as you're cleared for duty. These two need a lesson in humility." He grinned, hazel eyes alight with mischief, as Beth laughed.

"You volunteering them as targets?" she asked as the group headed for the door. The four Marines quickly arranged themselves so that she was flanked by Bryan and Josh while Seamus and Benji covered their six.

"Only if they keep this crap up." Josh replied as they walked by the table where McKay and Sheppard were seated.

Bryan nodded at Sheppard, his eyes flicking to Beth and back to silently point out that she was working through things.

A female voice called mockingly from a couple tables away, "Careful, Sergeant. Wouldn't want you to trip over a chair."

"Nice to know you're concerned for my well-being… Julie?" Bryan retorted.

"Not even close." Nurse Anderson said, laughter in her voice.

Beth snorted, and he glared at her before looking over at the nurse again. "How about a hint… Sarah?"

She shook her head, a big grin on her face. "Nope. A hint, hmm? Okay. I was named after a 60s cartoon character."

"The only cartoons I watched were GI Joe and the Flintstones, and I doubt your parents called you Snake-eyes or Scarlett."

Beth and his teammates cracked up, as did the three people sharing a table with Nurse Anderson, who simply looked at Bryan in amusement. "You want a date, you'll figure it out." Grinning, she turned her attention back to her lunch.

"You _are_ going to tell me what that was all about, right?" Beth asked, nudging Bryan's side with her elbow.

"Wasn't planning to," he replied tersely, giving her a 'leave it alone' glare as she grinned up at him.

"You'll end up telling me anyway, may as well do it now and get it over with."

Seamus snorted, having been on the receiving end of her persistence more than once himself. "Just do it. Before she drives us all crazy pestering you."

Resigning himself to the inevitable, Bryan started to explain as they walked down the corridor.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek leaned against the wall outside Beth's quarters, scrolling through a report while he waited. Laughter drew his attention and he looked up to see Beth and her teammates walking towards him, the quartet of Marines keeping pace with the petite figure in their midst. Beth smiled when she saw him waiting, willing herself not to blush. Now that she was away from the sea of moving people, the kiss she'd shared with Radek that morning was uppermost in her mind. And to find him waiting outside her quarters... Did that mean what it looked like it meant? Only one way to find out.

Bryan nudged her and she looked up, glaring in response to the smirk on his face. "Problem?" he asked with a laugh as they drew near. "Doc." Radek nodded in response.

"Shut up, Bry," she muttered, loudly enough that the other three Marines looked at them as they tried to figure out what was going on. They looked from her to Radek, and he gazed back at them blandly. Seamus chuckled, quickly followed by Josh and Benji, and Beth's face turned red. "Enough! It's not funny."

Bryan opened his mouth and Radek looked at him. "You are in room Gamma-nine-three, yes?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?" he asked warily.

"Because I will need to reroute the hot water carefully so I do not disrupt those around you." Radek smirked, including the other men in his look, and they quickly sobered.

Chuckling at the abrupt silence, Beth turned to face her teammates. "Thanks for the escort, guys. See you after dinner."

Bryan raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything other than, "Catch you later, kiddo." He looked at the scientist ruefully. "Don't suppose I can talk you out of it, can I?"

Radek gave him the look he reserved for truly stupid comments. "I _did_ warn you."

"Yeah, you did." He shook his head, the four Marines walking away as Beth waved a hand over the sensor and stepped inside.

"Coming?" she asked, looking back over her shoulder at Radek. He nodded and followed her inside. Making a beeline for the couch, she sat down with a sigh of relief, propping her leg up on the stool before leaning back.

"Would you like an ice pack?" he asked, noticing the faint lines of pain around her mouth and eyes.

"Please. And some ibuprofen," Beth said quietly. "I overdid it, but I didn't want to stop until I was back here." She reached for the Athosian blanket on the back of the couch, pulling it towards her.

Taking the blanket from her hands, Radek tucked it around her before bringing her water and ibuprofen. He placed an ice pack on her knee and then walked over to the entertainment center, where he connected her iPod to the speakers. As the song list scrolled by he searched for something soothing, smiling when he saw Antonín Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor. It was a favorite of his mother's, one he had listened to many times as a child. Putting it on repeat, he settled down beside her to review the most recent reports submitted by his staff.

Beth closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder, her breath hitching slightly as he gently brushed her cheek with one hand. "Běta?"

"Hmmm?" she murmured sleepily.

"Is something wrong?" he asked in a quiet tone.

She opened her eyes to look up at him. "Everything's fine," she said softly. "I'm just tired."

Leaning back against the couch, he pulled up the schematics for the area around Bryan's quarters.

Beth grinned as she noticed what he was doing. "You gonna to tell me _why_ you're giving Bry cold showers?"

Radek shook his head, fingers skimming across the screen as he made the necessary changes. "_Ne_. He knows why, and that is all that matters."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

The soft sounds of a cello floated through the air, taking her back to her childhood. This particular concerto was her grandmother's favorite; she had played it for her granddaughter each summer. _Grandma would approve of the choice_, Beth thought, picturing the rapturous look on her face at the last concert they attended in Prague; it was a memory she would never forget.

One hand idly traced a pattern on Radek's thigh as her mind sorted through the thoughts clamoring for attention, the morning's session with Heightmeyer casting a new light on some of them. _Kate was right. I needed to reconnect with the guys. Bry has been harping on me for months about trusting them. He'll be insufferable once he realizes I'm finally taking his advice. Then again, he may be too distracted trying to guess Daphne's name. She certainly picked a good way to keep him interested! _A chuckle escaped as she pondered several ways to tease him about it. Radek touched her hand inquiringly and she looked up, a grin teasing about her lips. He smiled in response, brushing a stray bit of hair away from her face before he focused back on the tablet.

She made a mental list of a few others to reach out to. _This would be easier if Beckett would release me back to part-time duty_, she thought, feeling a bit frustrated that she would have to get someone else to contact them. Beth admitted, just to herself, that she _would_ have tried to work if Rodney hadn't locked her out of the mainframe. _It would be a relief to focus on something other than __**my**__ issues for a while. _

Another comment from the end of the session drifted through her head._ Kate wants to talk about my relationship with Radek. Do I tell her what happened this morning? It's obvious that he doesn't remember, but I can't decide whether to be relieved or not. _Beth sighed, a small part of her wishing things could go back to the way they were. _Relationships are so __**not**__ my thing. I suck at the whole dating scene._ She thought back to her last boyfriend, Evan Lorne, whom she'd met at the SGC. _Ev is a great guy, and we had fun together, although he did catch a lot of flak from some of the Marines. I was both relieved and a bit hurt when he suggested that we would be better off as friends, even though there wasn't really a connection between us like I have with Radek. Good thing __**he**__ wasn't part of the expedition; that would have been awkward!_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** As always, beta services provided by the ever-fabulous theicemenace. If you dare to doubt her fabulousness, check out her fics! ;) Any flubs left are entirely mine.

The usual disclaimer applies about me not owning anything associated with Stargate, aside from my OCs. Thanks for reading!

Lady Pandora

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><p><strong>Unexpected<strong>

**Chapter**** 10**

**That evening**

"So, what're we watching tonight?" Benji asked as he pulled up the list of movies on the hard drive.

Beth thought for a moment. "Something funny, but not Monty Python. Is _Dirty Rotten Scoundrels_ on there?"

Seamus groaned as the other three men laughed. "Not that! There must be somethin' else we can watch." The thunk of a knife hitting the target on the wall was immediately followed by Seamus' voice. "Hey! Watch where you're throwing that thing!"

"I was. If I'd_ wanted_ to hit you I would've," she retorted. "_I_ endured _Lethal Weapon_ again – all fourmovies. And I didn't choose _Top Gun_ or _When Harry Met Sally_, so deal with it. Odds are it's not on there anyway."

As he settled down on the floor and leaned against the couch, Seamus grumbled a bit more about being used as a target.

Having reached the end of the list, Benji responded to Beth's request. "Nope, it's not here, but I found another you'll like." Quickly scrolling back up, he pushed play, then pulled the knife out of the wall and handed it to her before taking a seat on the couch, looking down at the petite linguist with a wistful expression on his face. "This is my mom's favorite movie; she watches it whenever she needs a pick-me-up." He hoped it would do the same for Beth, as she'd been through a lot the last few days. In the five years he'd known her this was the first time she'd ever been seriously injured.

"Thanks, Benji," she said softly, bumping him with her shoulder.

"Welcome," he said, gently nudging her in return.

The other guys grumbled as the title sequence rolled. "Why the hell'd you choose this?" Bryan asked, flinching when Beth smacked his arm. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Leave him alone. It's a good movie and it won't hurt any of you," she glanced at the others, including them in her remark, "to learn a little about romance."

"What makes you think I need to learn anything?" Josh asked with a grin as he angled the desk chair so he could see the screen.

Beth rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I've seen you around women, remember?" Bryan snorted and she elbowed him. "Have you gone on a date with Anderson yet?"

"Watch the movie, brat."

"That'd be a 'no' then. What are you waiting for, a written invitation? Ask her out!"

Seamus laughed, stopping abruptly when she cuffed him on the head. "Do I need to remind you about a certain blonde technician?"

"You promised you'd never mention that!" he protested, giving her his best wounded look.

"Then shut up and watch the movie, _idiot_." She touched his shoulder and Seamus looked up, giving her a wink as he grinned unrepentantly.

Benji started when Beth leaned against him, gingerly wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he tried to figure out what was going on. One of the things he appreciated about Beth was that she understood his shyness and just let him be, which made for a comfortable friendship. This new version of her, while it brought out the same protective instincts he had for his younger sisters, made him uncomfortable around her in the same way he was around other women.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

It had been years since she'd last watched _An Affair to Remember_, and if it hadn't been for Benji's comment she'd have asked for something else. _Not sure a romantic movie's what I need right now, but I can't tell him no without an explanation I'm not prepared to give yet._ Remembering what Kate had said earlier that day about working on her trust issues, Beth shifted position and leaned against Benji, who hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. _I **do** trust my team, and they need to know it._ Bryan touched her leg, giving her a knowing smirk when she glanced at him. She shook her head, knowing he was thinking it was about damn time she took his advice about trusting her teammates. Benji's posture was stiff at first, but he gradually relaxed when she did nothing more than lean against him.

As the movie played she found herself caught up in the story, tearing up when Terry was struck and unable to make their meeting. She sniffed, wiping away a few tears, and heard a quick inhale from Benji. Beth glanced up, giving him a sympathetic smile when his eyes met hers. His arm tightened briefly around her shoulders in response.

"You okay?" she asked in a low voice.

Benji nodded. "Just a little homesick," he whispered.

When the movie ended Beth walked over to the desk and poured herself a mug of Athosian tea, taking a moment to get her emotions back under control. A laugh escaped when she turned around; the guys had played musical chairs on her. Seamus and Josh were on the couch, Benji was seated in the desk chair, and Bryan was on the floor, his back against the couch. All four looked at her challengingly, as if daring her to argue, but she just shook her head and went back to her seat.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Bryan leaned forward to start another movie, stopping when Beth put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Before you do that I want to… I _need_ to tell you all a story." He leaned against her left leg as she talked about the kidnapping, giving her silent support as she struggled to get the words out. The room was silent for a moment after she finished, then Seamus and Josh both hugged her, Benji joining in a moment later.

Tears slid down her cheeks, and Josh gently them wiped away with his thumb. "Thank you for telling us. It takes a lot of courage to go through something like that and become the person you are today."

Seamus added, "You have us now. We've got your back. Nothing'll happen to you as long as we're around."

"We're a team. Like the Musketeers: all for one and one for all," Benji said as he mimed holding a sword in the air. "And now I know why you're so good with those knives!"

Beth giggled, then hiccupped, making them all laugh.

Hitting play, Bryan sighed dramatically when he realized the next movie was _Sleepless in Seattle_. "Geez, Benji. You find the entire chick flick section?" He ducked, but not fast enough to dodge Beth's hand.

"Be nice, Bry. I happen to _like_ chick flicks."

"Uh, yeah. Because you're a chick." He didn't even try to dodge a second time, knowing full well he deserved it for calling her that.

Beth huffed in mock annoyance. "Can we just watch the movie?" He looked up at her with a smirk and she grinned, calling him an idiot in Russian.

"Brat," he said affectionately, the byplay accomplishing what he knew she needed: something to focus on aside from her memories.

"You two gonna keep this up the entire time?" Josh asked, looking from one to the other.

"All done," Beth said, nudging Bryan with her knee and mouthing 'thanks'. He winked, his half grin telling her he was proud of her.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth sat sandwiched between Seamus and Josh, with Bryan leaning against her leg. She held her breath, waiting for the panic that inevitably came, and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't. _Maybe all I needed was the courage to tell them._ Reaching out to both sides, she grasped Seamus' hand in one of hers and Josh's in the other. Both men squeezed briefly before letting go.

Josh nudged her and she looked up at him. He raised an eyebrow and lifted his arm in silent invitation. Beth nodded, letting him tuck her against his side as the movie played. "Makes me homesick," he said quietly, as they showed a view of the Puget Sound at night. "I grew up in that area."

"You ever go to the top of the Space Needle?" she asked.

"Several times," Josh replied.

Beth sighed wistfully. "I always wanted to do that. Never made it that far across the States."

"Next time we're on leave I'll take you. You'll love it. The view is incredible."

She grinned up at him. "Deal."

Seamus looked their way with a mock-frown. "Shh. No talking during the movie."

**An hour or so later**

The credits rolled as Beth got up from the couch, singing _When I Fall in Love_ with Celine Dion as she carefully walked over to the desk and grabbed a tissue. She wiped her tears and blew her nose, tossing the tissue into the wastebasket, then turned with tissue box in hand. "Anyone else?" she asked with a grin, looking at the four Marines. Benji snagged one from the box, shooting her a look that clearly said he never wanted to hear about it. Beth tossed the box to Bryan, who caught it and glared at her. Seamus sniffed, wiping his arm across his face, and Josh just looked at her deadpan, daring her to comment.

Beth opened her mouth to speak and Bryan held out a hand. "Don't. Just… don't. Don't say anything."

"Love you guys," she said with a smile, laughing as pillows flew at her.

Seamus, Josh, and Benji took their leave a few minutes later. As they reached the door Seamus turned back and looked at her. "This _never_ happened. And we'll never speak of it again. Understand?"

"Speak of what?" Beth asked innocently. "That I spent tonight alone? Just like every other night? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Josh shook his head in resignation. "Yeah, yeah. Good night." With that, the trio left for their respective quarters, leaving Bryan to guard Beth.

**Later that night**

Waking abruptly, he lay perfectly still, senses on high alert as he tried to discern where the threat came from. A cry, like that of a child, echoed in the room. He could dimly see the silhouette on the bed, body curled into a fetal position. _Shit!_ Bryan moved quickly to the bed, where he knelt down before slowly reaching out to the sleeping form. "Beth?" he whispered, touching her gently. "Hey kiddo, time to wake up."

Beth shuddered violently, fighting off the dream as he laid a hand on her shoulder. After a moment she uncurled and a small voice whispered, "R-radek_?_"

"Nope, it's Bryan. You were having a nightmare." He wasn't prepared for her sudden lunge, falling over backwards as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. "Shh. It's okay. I've got you. You're safe." Several minutes passed as she shivered and cried, refusing to relinquish her grip.

Realizing that she wasn't going to let go anytime soon, he snagged the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her, then picked her up and went back to the couch. "Ease up a bit, would you? I need to breathe."

"Sorry." She reluctantly loosened her hold as he sat down on the left end of the couch, positioning them so that her legs were stretched out on the couch as he held her.

Hooking the stool with one foot, Bryan put his legs up with a sigh and leaned back against the couch. "Better?" he asked softly, one hand moving up and down her arm in a soothing motion. Beth nodded, her body slowly relaxing as the nightmare released its hold, and drifted off to sleep once again.

As he kept vigil Bryan thought back to the last time he'd seen her so upset, about a year after they'd met. Several of their SGC buddies had been at her condo for their weekly pizza and movie night.

_Bryan glanced towards Beth's usual spot when Rene Russo made a crack about PMS, only then realizing she hadn't come back since the phone rang. Getting up, he walked over to the bedroom, knocking on the door frame to get her attention. Beth was seated on the edge of the bed, tears sliding down her cheeks as she stared at her hands. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. "What happened?" he asked, his voice quiet. _

_Beth took a shaky breath before responding. "My grandmother died," she said in a low voice, not realizing she'd slipped into Czech. _

_"In English, please?" Bryan asked gently. _

_"My grandmother died." She wiped a hand across her face, trying to stem the tide of tears that continued to fall. _

_"Sorry to hear that, kiddo." He hugged her shoulders and she leaned against him for a moment, then pulled away to grab a tissue. "Losing a family member is painful," he said, thinking back to his grandpa passing away when he was a kid._

_Beth bit her lip. "She was the only family I had left, aside from a few cousins I vaguely remember from summer visits to Prague. I'm all alone now." More tears spilled over and she brushed them away irritably, hating the vulnerability and loss of control they represented._

_"You know that's not true. You have friends here, Beth," Bryan said firmly. _

_"It's not the same thing." Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "You don't understand. You weren't an only child, and your folks are still alive." _

_He looked down at her. "You need a sibling? I'll give you mine." _

_"What?! No!" _

_"Greg's always been a bit too full of himself. It'll be good for him," Bryan said with a laugh, picturing his older brother's reaction to the news. He grinned wider. "Free to good home as long as you remember to feed, water and walk him… **and** he's already had his shots."_

_Beth shook her head at him, laughter escaping in spite of her efforts to keep a straight face. "What would I do with him when I'm offworld? You'll have to keep him." _

_He shrugged. "Well, if you won't take Greg… are you sure you don't want him?... it'll have to be me." _

Her retort indicated that she thought he was joking, which made it even funnier when they were on a mission a couple weeks later and a local tried to hit on her. Bryan had made it crystal clear that he didn't care for the man's interest in his sister, much to Beth's surprise. A couple months later he'd talked her into taking leave with him, taking her to Coeur d'Alene to meet his folks, who'd accepted her into their family without hesitation. Greg had laughed himself silly watching her go toe to toe with him, giving as good as she got, right up to the point where she'd turned and lit into _him_. The memory still made Bryan laugh. _Wonder how Mom and Dad are doing. I didn't have the chance for more than a quick trip home between Antarctica and shipping out to Atlantis. _

**The next morning**

The door chimed, pulling Beth out of a dream about Radek and herself on the observation deck of the Empire State Building. She was Meg Ryan and Radek was the Czech version of Cary Grant. _Kate would have a field day with that!_ she thought, opening her eyes to see Bryan smiling down at her.

"Morning, kiddo."

"G'morning." Beth replied sleepily, watching as he walked across the room and waved a hand over the door sensor. The door slid open to reveal Radek bearing a tray. "_Please_ tell me you have **coffee**."

Radek chuckled. "I would never get between you and coffee. Would be almost as bad as doing that to McKay."

"Hey!" she protested as Bryan laughed. "I am _not_ as bad as Rodney!"

"I said almost, did I not?" Radek responded as he set the tray down on the low table and picked up a mug, offering it to her with a grin.

The first sip was pure bliss, a jolt she sorely needed. "Thank you, Radek."

Bryan stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. "Nap time for me."

"A nap?" she asked in confusion. "You just woke up!"

Bryan looked at her, a half smile on his face. "A Marine doesn't sleep while he's on duty," he replied quietly.

"_Vždy věrný_, my mom called it," she responded as she realized he'd kept vigil since waking her from a nightmare. "Thanks, Bry."

He nodded, ruffling her hair before leaning down to give her a swift hug. "No prob, kiddo. We've got a jaunt out to the suburbs later this morning, but call if you need me, okay? Later, Dr. Z." Bryan slipped out the door and headed off to his quarters.

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><p>AN: vždy věrný - Always faithful. Semper Fi. (Translation courtesy of Google translate. Any error is unintentional.)


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Laughter, brain-storming, assistance, and beta skills courtesy of theicemenace. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

WARNING: Portions of chapter may trigger diabetic coma. Proceed at own risk.

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><p><strong>Unexpected<br>****Chapter**** 11****  
><strong>

**Late morning, the same day**

Beth walked down the hall towards the infirmary, walking slowly as she thought about the session she'd just had with Kate. _Not exactly the easiest conversation I've ever had, and that includes the previous three days' worth of discussions! And I still have no idea how I truly feel, aside from knowing that I want more than friendship. I can't get that kiss out of my mind, and that fact that he doesn't remember it is driving me crazy. The whole damn thing is so… frustrating!_

She sighed, wishing momentarily for a simpler life without all these complications. _On the up side, the physical therapist said I was doing well, so maybe Beckett will release me for part-time duty soon. That would give me something else to think about, which I could really use right now. Well, that or a good stiff drink. Athosian tea isn't cutting it. _

An hour later she walked into Radek's lab with a big smile on her face. "Beckett released me for half days! I still have a long list of things I can't do and orders not to work more than four hours at a stretch, but I can work again! Finally!"

Radek grinned back, blue eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "Congratulations, Běta. Will be nice to have you next door again."

"Would you like to have lunch with me to celebrate?" she asked impulsively. "I know it's a bit late but I'll bet you haven't eaten yet."

"Guilty as charged," he chuckled. "I can't be away too long but I have enough time for a sandwich."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

After a quick lunch the duo stopped by the main lab, where Radek left Beth deep in discussion with Miko Kusanagi and returned to his own lab to check on the progress of a simulation for maintenance on the pipes running from the desalination tanks on the east pier. _McKay isn't going to like this. Looks as if some systems will have to be taken offline to affect repairs. However, is better to do it now before something breaks._ A burst of Czech escaped as he skimmed the latest data on the pipes. _It will have to be soon. Some of the seals won't last much longer, and no one will be happy if we end up rationing water._

The thought of McKay haranguing him for his personal inconvenience, never mind that everyone else on the expedition would be affected, made him roll his eyes. _As if badgering me would get the repairs completed any faster!_ He composed an email with the latest data, a proposed schedule for repairs, and a link to the simulations, flagging it as urgent, and sent it to Rodney for approval.

A knock came from the doorway, followed by a feminine voice. "Radek?"

"Hmm… yes?" he asked, focused on the most recent data on the hacker.

"Have you seen my laptop? It's not in my quarters or the lab."

As Beth's voice registered he turned around to see her standing in the doorway. "Might be in McKay's office. Let me look; I will bring it to you if I find it."

She grinned at him. "Thanks."

"Is no problem," he said with a shy smile.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth walked back to her office, leaning on the cane to relieve her knee. When she'd entered her lab earlier that day, she'd been surprised to see an ingeniously adapted lab stool turned footstool beside her chair and a small cooler with ice packs on the coffee table next to a couple throw pillows. She walked over to the small couch, sitting down with a sigh of relief as she propped her legs up on the coffee table and put an ice pack on her right knee.

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of Radek with her laptop and two mugs of coffee.

"I thought maybe you would like some coffee as well?" He smiled at the look of delight on her face.

"Radek, you're a lifesaver!" Beth said gratefully as she took the mug he handed her, breathing in the smell before taking a sip. "Mmmm. Really hits the spot. _Díky_."

"_Rádo se stalo_." Radek walked over to her workstation, setting the laptop down onto the console and attaching a couple leads before booting it up. "Should only take a moment to unlock the mainframe for you." A couple minutes and several curses later he was done. "There. Good to go. I took the liberty of uploading the translation program data to your laptop for review. Call me if you need anything, _prosím_." He saluted her with his mug as he left.

**Later that night**

The ending credits to yet another episode of Doctor Who flashed across the screen, disappearing as Beth used the mouse to turn off the laptop. Radek stood up and stretched, stifling a yawn with one hand. "Time for me to get some sleep. Good night, Běta," he said with a smile as he turned to look at the woman on the couch.

She looked up at him, not saying a word for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Radek? Would…. would you stay with me again? Please? I don't want to be alone yet."

"Always. Whatever you need," he answered quietly. Her smile warmed him like a single ray of sun on a cold winter morning, and he realized that he was falling in love with her a bit more every day.

Disappearing into the bathroom, she emerged several minutes later in shorts and a tank top, similar to her sleeping attire from the other night. Radek was sitting on the edge of the couch, having just removed his shoes. She looked at him and held out a hand. "Come to bed."

Radek blinked in confusion, sure he was imagining things. "Sorry?"

She stuttered a bit as she replied, "J-just… hold me. L-like you did before."

He nodded in agreement, waiting for her to get in before he turned out the lights. Setting his earpiece and glasses on the bedside table, he slipped under the blanket and pulled her close. Beth snuggled into him, one hand stealing out from under the sheet to curl in his, and he squeezed it gently.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth looked at her reflection in the mirror, trying to work up the courage to ask Radek to stay the night, and to sleep with her like he had two nights ago. She didn't want sex… well, not tonight. Sometime in the future, yes, but there were still too many issues she had to work out before getting into a new relationship.

_In the words of Yoda: do or do not; there is no try. You'll never know if you don't take that first step. The worst thing he can do is say no, and then at least you'd have your answer. Best case? Maybe he'll kiss me again, and actually remember it this time! _ She took a deep breath and whispered, "Just do it!", then walked out the door before she lost her nerve.

The confusion on his face when she told him to come to bed had her second-guessing her decision, and she stammered out a reply. His acceptance of her request gave her confidence a much-needed boost, and a smile hovered on her lips as she waited for him to join her. With just a sheet between them she could feel the warmth of his body as he pulled her close. Moving one hand out from underneath the sheet, she slipped it into his, comforted when he squeezed it in response.

**Early the next morning**

An insistent beep pulled him from slumber and he reached out with one hand, fumbling for a moment before locating his earpiece and hooking it over an ear. "This is Zelenka," he said in a sleep-roughened voice, still more than half asleep.

"_Sorry to wake you, Doc, but we've got a serious problem on the east pier. Looks like some of the pipes have broken. I took the desalination tanks offline, but I'm not sure how much damage was done prior to that." _Chuck's tone was apologetic as he gave a brief description of the damage control he was able to do from the control room. "_McKay and the senior staff have been notified, and Dr. Weir has ordered water rationing until the necessary repairs have been made._"

As he listened Radek slowly became more aware of his surroundings, realizing that sometime during the night he had rolled onto his back, and that the warmth draped across his chest was Beth. Her head was tucked under his chin and her hands had wrapped around his shoulders as if to hold him in place, while his arm held her snugly against him.

"You did the right thing, Chuck. We may have less damage than anticipated due to your quick action. Please contact my team and have them meet me in the main lab as soon as possible. Zelenka out." He tapped the earpiece off and laid there for a moment longer, wishing that he could simply continue to hold her until she woke up. His hand rubbed her back as he softly called, "Běta… Běta… wake up, _pros__í__m_."

"Shh, Radek. Sleeping," she replied, her voice husky in the early morning air.

"I'm sorry, Běta, but I need to get up. Wake up, _miláčku_," he said coaxingly.

"Cookies below sugar with walnut milk."

Radek grinned at her response, wondering if she was always this hard to wake up and hoping he might have the chance to find out. "I'm sure they are, _miláčku_, but I have to leave. You need to let go."

Beneath his hand he felt her draw in a sudden breath then quickly move away from him, taking the warmth with her. "I-I'm sorry, Radek. I… Damn. I never meant for…" His fingers on her lips halted her fumbling words.

"Nothing to apologize for. I'm sorry to wake you, but I need to leave. Will you be okay?" he asked, removing his fingers from her lips to reach for his glasses. He slipped them on and stood up, the darkened room making it difficult to see much of anything even with them on.

When she answered, Beth's voice was so soft he almost missed her reply. "I'll be fine." She curled up on the bed, pulling the blanket around herself as if it was a protective shell.

A moment later he had his shoes on and was about to head out, but he couldn't leave without saying goodbye. Walking back to the bed, he reached out to gently touch her cheek. She shied away at his touch and he frowned, trying to decide whether to ask or leave things alone. The decision was taken out of his hands when the earpiece chirped insistently.

"_Zelenka! Where the hell are you? Those pipes need to be fixed now!"_

Radek sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do for the moment. "On my way, McKay. Five minutes." A few choice words in his native tongue followed the click of the comm. "Běta…" he searched for the right words to say, but nothing came to mind. "I will see you later."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth was back in her condo in Colorado Springs, throwing knives at the target in her living room, and for some reason the kitchen timer kept beeping. _Why is the timer beeping? I don't have any cookies in the oven._ The noise stopped, to be replaced by a husky male voice talking to someone. A string of Greek echoed in the room as the knife hit the target outside the bull's-eye. _I can't concentrate with all this racket!_

A hand rubbed her back, and she sighed as the dream switched to her bedroom. Lying snuggled up together in bed felt perfect, as if the stars were aligned in her favor. The man holding her called her name, and she wished he would just shut up and enjoy the moment. "Shh, Radek. Sleeping." _I am not moving. Too comfortable. _

He called her again as she suddenly found herself in the kitchen with several dozen cookies on the counter. _These should be in the cookie jar._ Where had she put it? _Oh yeah._ "The cookie jar's on top of the fridge."

The dream faded, to be replaced by the realization that she really _was_ lying across Radek's chest. Her breath caught in her throat and she quickly pulled away, face flaming in embarrassment. A fumbled apology was halted by his fingers, but his assurance did nothing to lessen the mortification sweeping over her. The words he spoke barely registered and her response was almost inaudible.

Beth curled into a ball, pulling the blanket tightly around herself, and wished that she could be anywhere else at the moment. She was startled by his hand touching her cheek, fervently wishing he would just leave before she made an even bigger fool of herself. Radek stood there for a moment before the earpiece chirped again, demanding his attention. His quiet response was followed by some colorful language and a moment later he was gone.

With Radek and his team working on repairs, and her team off world, Beth had nothing but work to distract her from reliving those few minutes over and over again, her emotions running the gamut from extreme embarrassment to irritation and finally, anger mixed with hope. She knew her reaction was unreasonable, but as time passed she found herself growing more and more confused about the whole situation, wavering between wanting to know if this could really be something more than the friendship they already enjoyed, or if she'd simply misinterpreted what had happened. When she met with Kate, the psychiatrist seemed to sense that she wasn't going to talk about what was bothering her, choosing to focus on the aftermath of the kidnapping rather than present day events.

**Late evening, the next day**

A sigh escaped his lips as Radek walked into his lab, setting down his bag of equipment on the nearest empty surface. His tablet was next, sliding across the table until it came to a stop against an Ancient gadget he'd been tinkering with for a couple weeks now. The repairs had taken longer than expected; he hadn't had time for more than a handful of energy bars and a couple catnaps since Chuck had awakened him at 0430 the day before, and he could feel himself falling asleep as he stood there trying to find the energy to move. _I should crash on the couch in Běta's lab. May be as far as I can manage right now._ Putting thought to action he slowly walked from his lab to the one next door, realizing when he entered that Beth was still there.

"Hullo, Běta," Radek said tiredly. "May I use your couch?" He knew there was something else he needed to discuss, something important, but at the moment he couldn't string together enough coherent thought to remember what it was.

Without looking up, Beth waved a hand at him. "Sure. Whatever you want."

The words granted permission, but the bite in her voice said otherwise. Pushing his glasses up on his nose, Radek turned a confused glance on her. "What did McKay do this time?"

"_Rodney_ hasn't done anything lately," she responded, eyes on the laptop screen.

"Whose hot water do I need to re-route? Tell me the name, and I will do so first thing in the morning." He said it with weary humor, but there was no hint of amusement from Beth.

"Radek Zelenka," she said in an unnaturally flat voice.

Taken aback, he removed his glasses and polished them on his shirt tail, stalling as he tried to figure out what he could have done prior to yesterday morning. Replacing his glasses, Radek studied her carefully. Cleaning the lenses hadn't changed anything except that he could see more clearly. "What have I done to incur your wrath?"

The look Beth shot him as she turned around made him wish he'd opted to just sleep on the floor of his lab. "That's all you have to say? Two days, Radek. It's been _two days_!"

"During which I have been working on repairs so that we may have fresh water." His response seemed to just infuriate her, although he couldn't figure out why she would get so upset over it. His tired brain slowly worked on the problem as he stood there half-asleep.

"Whatever." Beth rose from her chair and walked across the room to get a bottle of water, leaning against the counter as she opened it and took a drink. Grabbing a small white bottle on the counter, she popped the top off and dumped four pills in her hand, then exchanged the container for the bottled water and quickly washed them down. She snapped the lid back on and took a deep breath, the lines of pain around her eyes mute testimony to the amount she'd pushed herself since he had last seen her.

"Běta, how long have you been working?" he asked in concern, taking a few steps towards her when she stumbled, only to come to a stop a few feet away when she held out a warning hand, leaning heavily on the cane to keep from falling. "Let me help you, _pros__ím_."

"I don't _need_ help," Beth snapped, green eyes sparking with anger.

Radek reached for any shreds of patience he had left, saying in the calmest voice he could manage, "What is wrong?"

"_Nothing_ is wrong," she muttered.

He tilted his head, saying nothing as he gave her the look he usually reserved for McKay's stupid comments.

"You really _don't_ have any idea, do you?" Her frustration was evident in her tone.

"_Would I ask if I did? I'm exhausted, Běta, and in no mood for games._" Radek switched to Czech, too tired to translate English.

Eyeing him as she spoke, she replied, "_That makes two of us._"

Pushing his glasses back up, he rubbed the bridge of his nose before replying. "_And I have no idea what you are talking about._"

"_That would be the problem. You don't remember._"

"_Remember what?_" he asked in exasperation, lack of sleep making him testier than usual.

"_This._" Beth stepped forward until she was directly in front of him, leaning on the cane as she used her other hand to pull his head down for a brief kiss. Taking a step back she waited, biting her lip nervously as she looked at him.

Radek stood there unmoving, his sleep-deprived brain sorting through the feel of her lips on his, the dream he'd had of kissing her, and his growing realization that it hadn't been just a dream. Her reaction the other morning now made sense, and he regretted that an emergency had taken him away before he could pin down why she had shied away from his touch. Feeling a bit foolish now, he focused on where she'd been standing, only to discover that she'd walked over to stare out the window, one arm wrapped around her waist as she leaned on the cane.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Beth watched his face, biting her lip while she waited for him to realize what she meant. His expression gave away nothing of what he was thinking, and after a moment she paled, walking across the room to stare unseeing at the ocean. She tried desperately not to cry as the hopes she'd had shattered around her. _Stupid, Beth. Nothing like completely misreading things and making a complete fool of yourself. Dammit._ The metal cane was firm under her shaky hand, and she wrapped the other arm around herself in an attempt to hide her trembling.

Soft footsteps came toward her and he laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Běta-"

His quiet voice was her undoing. "Don't say it. Just... just go. Please." Her voice quaked and she couldn't prevent the hot tears that slipped out, leaving a trail of moisture down both cheeks. Stepping away from his hand, Beth closed her eyes, head bowed as she attempted to block out what had just happened. She searched in vain for that inner core of stubbornness that wouldn't let her admit how vulnerable she was. The enormity of what she had risked, and lost, hit her like a sledgehammer, making it nearly impossible to breathe. _I can't even move somewhere else. There's nowhere to go._

A hand tipped her chin up and warm lips covered hers, capturing her gasp of surprise. Radek's hands cradled her face, thumbs rubbing the tears away as he kissed her, his lips gentle on hers. When he ended the kiss Beth opened her eyes to find his warm blue ones gazing at her.

"_Miláčku__, I had no idea. I thought it was only a dream. If I had known I would have-" _His voice stopped when she put a hand over his lips.

"_Radek, shut up and kiss me_."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek hadn't expected to end his evening kissing the woman who'd been on his mind since he left her the day before. More than once over the last two days he'd caught himself thinking about waking up with her in his arms instead of focusing on the repair work.

A fleeting reminder of where they were crossed his mind, quickly disappearing like ice on a hot summer's day as he claimed her lips in a smoldering kiss, one hand tunneling through her hair as the other pulled her close against him. The cane clattered on the floor as Beth wrapped her arms around his neck, her breath shuddering as her body reacted.

He slowly backed up until he felt the couch against the back of his legs, maneuvering them so that she ended up in his lap. His glasses slipped down and she lifted them away, toying with the hairs at the nape of his neck with her other hand as he devoured her mouth in a series of mind-numbing kisses. A low moan escaped her as he ran his hands down her back, one hand coming back up to tangle in her hair while the other pulled her shirt loose and slid underneath to caress the silky skin of her lower back. Tugging at her lower lip as she melted against him, his tongue swept inside to dance with hers before he released her mouth to place kisses along her jaw and down her neck to her rapidly beating pulse. His hand left her back to glide down her thigh, stopping abruptly as it encountered the leg brace. Sucking in a deep breath, Radek reminded his body that she was injured and in no condition for what it had in mind. "I'm sorry, Běta. I didn't mean to-"

Soft fingers against his mouth silenced him. "Do _not_ apologize for that. It was…," she sighed, still a bit breathless, "…wow." _Mom wasn't kidding about kissing a Czech._

Radek claimed her mouth once again, taking his time as he gently eased them back from the sensual haze that had overtaken them both. Beth murmured against his lips, one hand running through his hair as he slowly lifted his mouth from hers and looked into her flushed face. Cupping her cheek with one hand, he gently rubbed his thumb back and forth.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** As per normal, theicemenace did the beta for me, along with dialogue help here and there. She also graciously loaned my her OC, Ayanna, for use in my story. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Unexpected<br>****Chapter**** 12**

**The next morning**

Seamus followed his teammates down the corridor, grinning in anticipation of Beth's reaction to their surprise. Teyla had returned from the mainland late yesterday afternoon with the walking stick, on which her friend Ayanna had carved the saying and sealed it with an Athosian varnish, then polished it so that it glowed in the glare of the overhead lights. _If I volunteer for babysitting duty next time the geeks go to the mainland, I can thank her in person._

It reminded him of the work done by one of the artists living down the street from his folks. Some of the best woodcarving in Sausalito was done by that group; he'd spent many hours of his youth watching them turn ordinary pieces of wood into art, and was lucky enough to have a carving of his own given to him in honor of his enlistment. The carving, of him in uniform holding a US flag and standing on a rock with the words _Semper Fi_ carved into it, was one of his most prized possessions. It was displayed on a shelf in his room along with a couple mementos from off world missions.

The four Marines came to a stop in front of the door to her quarters and Benji waved a hand over the sensor to trigger the chime. The men, standing in a semi-circle around the doorway, exchanged grins as they waited. Bryan, standing to the far right, hid the walking stick behind his back.

A moment later Beth opened the door, a look of confusion on her face at the sight of the quartet in their BDUs. "Did I miss a team meeting or something?" she asked, leaning on the cane as her eyes flicked from one face to the next.

"We just stopped by to see if you'd had breakfast yet," Josh said, a half-smile on his face.

Seamus stifled a laugh as she peered into each face, trying to figure out what was going on. "Oookay. And?"

"What?" Benji asked innocently, trying his level best not to grin.

Her disbelieving look told them she wasn't buying the act. "And… what else are you up to? You all look like Sylvester stalking Tweety."

Seamus took that as his cue, looking distastefully at the metal cane in her right hand as he spoke. "If we were back on Earth I would replace that ugly thing in a heartbeat… with this…" Taking a step sideways, he revealed the hand-carved walking stick Bryan held in one hand.

Beth gasped in surprise, eyes wide as she touched the walking stick with her left hand, running it along a carving. Seamus felt his face split with a big grin and knew the other three had the same look on their faces.

"Where did you… how..." she stammered, rendered speechless by their gift. "_Wow_." Her voice trailed off as she traded Bryan the metal cane for the new walking stick, turning it over to admire the workmanship. The wood gleamed in the light, the darker surface of the carvings standing out against the variegated golden-red tones of the wood. Approximately two-thirds of the way down was an open space where the stick split into four pieces that twisted around before merging back into one solid piece. The carvings ran around the entire surface; the most recent addition Beth recognized as an Athosian quote.

"Found it at a market a few days ago, and we thought you should have it," Bryan said, resting the metal cane against the wall.

A smile lit her face as she took a few steps with it before turning back to give each of them a big hug. "Thanks, guys." Opening the door to her quarters, Beth stashed the metal cane inside. The four men waited for her, quickly arranging themselves in a protective formation as they walked towards the mess hall

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

**Late morning **

Bryan's team had been assigned to explore one of the previously flooded areas, drained once Atlantis rose to the surface of the ocean. As Beth walked to her lab after physical therapy, she was treated to a detailed description of the area the quartet and an engineer were currently exploring in all its dark and damp glory. Their conversation, carried out on one of the side channels where it wouldn't disturb anyone else, gave her a chance to focus on something other than the effort it took to traverse the distance from transporter to lab.

"_The waterline is about halfway up the walls in this section. Peterson assures me it's structurally sound, but there's a funky smell and a weird fungus growing on the walls. Be glad you can't join in the fun, kiddo._" Bryan's voice made it clear that this was not something she would have enjoyed.

Laughing, she replied, "It can't be that bad, Bry, or they wouldn't let you explore down there."

Benji's voice broke in. "_Reynolds, got something you need to see. We're around the corner from your current location._"

"_Roger that, Neilson. On my way. Beth, see if you can fin-_" Bryan broke off abruptly mid-sentence, coming back a moment later to let her know they'd found another room full of Ancient technology. "_I need to call it in._"

"Okay. Noble out." Beth tapped the earpiece, disconnecting it as she entered her lab. The heavenly smell of coffee wafted through the room, its enticing aroma drawing her straight to the coffeemaker on the right side of the room. Someone had started a fresh pot of coffee recently. _Had to be_ _Radek, _she thought with a grin. _My genie is feeding my caffeine addiction._ After filling her mug with the dark brew she carefully carried it over to her workstation, where she found another surprise waiting.

A small glass sphere, about an inch in diameter, sat on the lid of her laptop, holding down a piece of paper with the initials 'RZ' written on it. The swirling colors inside the translucent sphere reminded her of Chihuly pieces she'd seen in Venice and at the Louvre, and she wondered where he'd found it. Setting the mug down beside the laptop, Beth sat down in the desk chair and picked up the sphere, rolling it between her fingers as a smile played on her lips.

A knock on the door frame was followed by footsteps heading her way. As Beth turned to see who it was she closed her hand over the small sphere, hiding it from view.

"Hullo, _miláčku_." Radek's soft smile pulled an answering grin from her. "I came for coffee," he said, raising his mug slightly.

"Help yourself. _My genie made a full pot_," she said with a chuckle.

His grin widened at the comment. "_Would this perhaps be a Czech genie_?" Feminine laughter filled the air as he ambled over to the coffeemaker and filled his cup. Turning around with a smile, he walked over to where she sat, eyes focused on him.

Beth opened her hand, revealing the glass sphere hidden within. "This is beautiful, Radek. _Mockrát děkuju_."

"_Rádo se stalo_. I discovered it lodged inside a pipe yesterday and thought you might like it." He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Will you join me for dinner tonight?"

One side of her mouth quirked up as she answered, "I would love to."

His answering smile lit up his face. Reaching out with one hand, Radek closed her fingers over the sphere before lifting her hand to his lips. Gazing into her eyes, he kissed her knuckles one at a time, lips caressing each one. Beth's eyes widened as she inhaled sharply, caught in the moment. He released her hand, fingertips running down her smooth cheek as he said softly, "Until later, _miláčku_." He turned towards the doorway, making his way back to his lab.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

**Early evening**

Several scientists hurried down the corridor, nodding at Radek as he passed by. No one looked twice at the cases he was carrying, which looked like regular equipment cases until one viewed their contents, and he quickly passed through on his way to a less used section of the tower. Turning one final corner, he walked through a door at the end of a short corridor and out onto a small west-facing balcony. Given its out of the way location, no one seemed to use it or even care that it was there, which made it ideal for his plans.

Laying the cases on the ground, he opened them both, first pulling out a blanket and pillows, then arranging a couple candles and the covered dishes of food on the bench, using it as a makeshift table. Running the expedition's barter system had made it relatively easy for him to get his hands on what he wanted for the evening. After first checking with Dr. Cole to see if it would conflict with any medications Beth might be taking, he'd also procured a bottle of wine and a couple glasses. He looked around one last time to make sure everything was perfect, then headed for her lab.

When he walked in Radek found Beth sound asleep on the sofa, lying on her left side with one hand tucked under her head. The glass sphere was held loosely in her other hand, as if she'd been looking at it prior to dozing off, and he smiled at the picture she presented, wishing he had a camera handy to capture the moment. Kneeling down in front of her, he caressed her cheek with one hand as he softly called her name. "Běta… Běta… Wake up, _miláčku_."

A moment later she stirred, her eyelids slowly opening to reveal warm green eyes gazing up at him. "Hey," Beth said in a soft, velvety voice. "I didn't meant to fall asleep before you got here, but the sofa was so comfy…" Her voice trailed off as he nodded in understanding.

"_Ano_, it is. I've slept there myself many times," he responded. Rising to his feet, Radek took a few steps back as she sat up, slipping the glass sphere into a pocket before reaching for the walking stick and rising to her feet. The stubborn determination on her face made him stifle the impulse to help, although he kept an eye on her as they walked down the corridor, guiding her with the touch of his hand on her back.

When they reached the balcony door he asked her to wait with eyes closed, then darted in to light the candles. Taking her left hand in his, he led her out onto the balcony and told her to open her eyes.

Beth gasped in surprise, eyes wide as she looked at the picnic laid out. "Radek! How did you manage this?" He grinned, pleased at her reaction, and offered her a seat on one of the pillows. Once she was settled he pulled out the bottle of wine and popped the cork, pouring a glass first for her and then himself.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

The wineglass felt cool against her fingers, and she twirled the stem as she waited for him to set the bottle down. "What shall we toast to?" Beth asked as she looked into his eyes.

"_Na zdraví_," Radek answered with a slow smile as he clinked glasses with her. They both took a drink and set their glasses down, only then breaking eye contact.

Lifting off one of the covers, he handed her the plate underneath, then cutlery and a napkin, repeating the process for himself. A lively discussion on the different lagers available in the Czech Republic versus those in the United States took them through the meal, at the end of which Radek confessed that he was constructing a still in a small out-of-the-way lab. Beth grinned as he described it to her, his explanation growing more animated as he delved into the technical aspects of construction and the proper brewing methods, as well as his intention of brewing a lager someday, provided he could get the parts to construct a refrigeration unit. The empty plates were set on the bench along with the wineglasses and bottle, then he reached into one of the cases and pulled out two spoons, handing one to her with a flourish.

"What's this for?" Beth asked, looking at him in confusion.

Shooting her a mischievous grin, he reached into the case once again, this time coming out with two pudding cups. He handed one to her and she promptly peeled off the foil lid, licking the chocolate off before setting it aside to dip her spoon in the chocolate. That first bite was pure heaven. Taking her time, Beth made each spoonful last as long as possible, scraping the sides of the little container for every little bit of pudding. Partway through the cup she looked up to see Radek watching her with an indulgent smile on his face as he ate his own pudding. "_Díky_. How did you know I love these?"

"_Rádo se stalo._ I never reveal my sources," he said with a chuckle.

"This particular source wouldn't happen to be a 6'4" Marine with the initials BR, would it?" she asked, a smile playing about her mouth.

"_Ne._ Not this time." The way he said it made her wonder what else he and Bryan had talked about. Once the pudding was consumed Radek packed the detritus back into a case, leaving the bench empty once again. Beth was looking up at the sunset when he sat down again, this time directly behind her, stretching his legs out on either side of hers as he leaned back against the bench. Lacing the fingers of their hands together, he curled their arms around her waist as she relaxed against him, delighting in the warmth where their bodies touched. The couple watched as day turned to night, neither one willing to move and break the spell.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

As the sun set and the stars came out, Radek thought back over the last ten days. So much had happened in such a short time that it was hard to believe it had only been that long. A desire to slow down and savor their new relationship swept over him as he held her and looked at the stars. Not one to talk about his feelings, he wondered how to approach it in a way that made his intentions clear yet explained his yearning to take things slowly. He knew neither one of them would forget last night, but he didn't want that to push them into the physical side of a relationship before either was ready. And there was also her injury to take into consideration; it would take several more weeks for her to heal, which gave them ample time to explore their feelings.

"Radek?" Beth said softly.

"Yes?" he replied in a low voice.

"Thank you."

He tightened his arms briefly and said, "You're welcome, _miláčku_. I am glad you enjoyed it."

"Very much." She paused for a moment, then asked quietly, "So, where do we go from here? Last night was… unforgettable, but I don't want to rush into this. And there are some issues from my past that will take time to work through; I don't want them to jeopardize what we have. I'd like to keep this just between the two of us, at least for a few weeks, to give us time to decide how we feel about each other. I-the last relationship I was in, a couple years ago, was doomed from the start. Dating a coworker at the SGC was like living in a fishbowl; every move was noticed. And Ev got a lot of flak from the Marines I hung out with." She made a frustrated sound. Trying to articulate her thoughts without sounding like a total idiot was almost impossible. "I don't want that to happen to you."

Radek chuckled. "I think I can handle a few Marines. There is a very good reason one does not irritate the scientist who controls the environmental systems."

A giggle escaped as Beth remembered him rerouting the hot water pipes the other day. "I hope whatever Bry did warranted the punishment."

"He had fair warning and chose to disregard it." Radek had been a bit startled to hear her articulate some of what he'd been thinking, and he decided to voice his thoughts as best he could. "Běta, I would like to spend more time with you, exploring what may be and seeing where this may lead." Pulling one hand loose, he caressed her cheek, then laced their fingers together again. "I want to take things slowly, allow us to get to know each other."

"I'd like that too," Beth said quietly, squeezing his fingers as she spoke.

He trailed kisses down her neck, and she gasped as his lips moved across the nape of her neck and back to the sensitive spot behind her ear. As he leaned back against the bench, holding her snugly against him, Radek felt a smile spread across his face.

**Later that night **

As the couple turned the corner they saw Josh leaning against the wall beside her door. Beth glanced at Radek when he chuckled. "I see your team is still keeping watch."

"They aren't. At least, they're not _supposed_ to be. We talked about it at breakfast this morning. I pointed out that it wasn't necessary anymore, they argued that I'm still injured, and I offered to prove them wrong." Radek looked askance at her and she grinned sheepishly. "Okay, fine. I threatened to get the bandolier and use them for target practice."

He shook his head, unable to keep the grin off his face. "You are dangerous to have as one's teammate."

"Radek! I'm not that bad," she grumbled good-naturedly. At their approach Josh stepped away from the wall. Beth eyed him questioningly. "Hey, Josh. What's up?"

He nodded at them both. "Hey, Beth. Actually, I need to talk with Dr. Z."

She raised her eyebrows. "And you're hanging around _my_ quarters why?"

"Neither of you were in your labs. I figured you'd show up eventually." The smirk on his face was reminiscent of the one Bryan gave her on a regular basis.

She gave him a dirty look, but Radek put a hand on her arm before she could say anything. "Do you enjoy cold showers?" he asked the Marine in a serious tone. "Is quite simple to arrange."

Josh held his hands up in surrender. "Easy, Doc. I just assumed if Beth wasn't hanging out with us that she was with you. Nothing more. I swear."

"'S okay, Radek. I'll just use him for target practice if he irritates me," she said, humor in her tone.

"Are you sure, _miláčku_? Would only take a moment to reroute." A smile played about his lips as he said the last.

Beth laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure. Bad enough I have to listen to Bry complain. I'd just as soon not have to listen to them gripe. Especially not at breakfast."

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Josh said, looking at Radek. "I know Reynolds pissed you off, but is there any chance you can cut him some slack? He's been a real pain in the ass the last few days."

Radek considered briefly before replying, "If he apologizes, yes. Otherwise, no."

Several pieces fell into place and Beth took a step back to look at the two men. "Wait a minute. This is about him teasing me the other day, isn't it? He does that all the time; it's part of the dubious privilege of having him for a brother." She glanced around to make sure there was no one else in the vicinity, and made a quick decision, lowering her voice as she spoke. "Radek, you can't keep doing this whenever someone gives me a hard time." She looked at him earnestly, dropping her voice even lower. "People will start to talk... about _us_. Let me deal with them. If something more is needed you can reroute whatever systems you want." She looked up at the dark-haired Marine. "And Josh, not a word. To anyone."

A big grin crossed Josh's face and he nodded. "I know nothing." He gave Beth a brief hug, then headed off to his quarters, waving jauntily at the pair as he turned the corner.

Radek shook his head ruefully. "_You're right, but that doesn't mean I will allow things to get out of hand._" Reaching out a hand to cradle her face, he rubbed his thumb along her cheek as Beth leaned into his touch. "_Good night, miláčku_," he whispered, looking into her eyes.

"_Good night, my genie_," Beth said softly, standing with him for a moment before she turned away to wave a hand over the door sensor and step inside. She blew him a kiss as the door slid shut, and Radek smiled at nothing as he walked down the corridor towards his quarters.

* * *

><p>AN: Sylvester stalking Tweety is a reference to the Looney Tunes cartoon characters.

Courtesy of etiquettescholar dot com: The most common Czech toast is "Na zdraví!" which means "to your health," upon which each person clicks glasses with everyone at the table. Make eye contact with each person you click glasses with, or you will be considered rude.

If anyone finds inaccuracies as to Czech culture or language, please PM me so I can fix it.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: As per normal, theicemenace did the beta for me, along with dialogue help here and there. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

* * *

><p><strong>Unexpected<br>****Chapter**** 13**

The quartet of Marines met up with Beth and Radek at breakfast, the group opting to sit out on the balcony while they ate to enjoy the warm morning sun. Although the conversation never lagged, it became evident that Radek and Bryan were ignoring each other. Josh caught Beth's attention, looked towards Bryan then Radek, and rolled his eyes. After looking at them both she nodded, then interrupted the conversation.

"Okay, you two. Enough already." Bryan was the first to feel her ire, as he was sitting directly across the table from her. "Apologize and be done with it." She turned to look at Radek, who was seated to her left. "And you… undo whatever it is you did with the hot water. Now!" Both men looked sheepish as they obeyed. "So who gets to be cameraman for me so I can see exactly what's in that room?"

**An hour later**

"Roger. Switching to gamma. Beth, you receiving the video?" Seamus adjusted the camera slightly, skimming down the connections with his fingers to ensure everything was connected. The harness was a bit unwieldy, but as long as it transmitted the images he would deal with it.

"_Coming through crystal clear. Seamus, stop fiddling with it before you make me seasick! Start on the left-hand side, please and slowly walk down the aisle._"

As the morning went on Radek and his team of scientists slowly cleared out a portion of the area behind Seamus and Benji, assigning inventory numbers to each object as they went along. Switching to an alternate channel for their communications meant that the team was subjected to some of Beth's more colorful vocabulary as she tried to match the Ancient inventory list with the items in the room. A particularly vile-sounding phrase came over the comm at one point, causing those on the same channel to burst out laughing.

Bryan's voice could be heard from the corridor, where he was overseeing transport of the items. "_What was that, kiddo_?"

"_Sorry. Ran out of coffee." _Radek snorted, muttering something under his breath. "_Radek, I am __**not**__ as bad as Rodney!_"

Seamus maneuvered around a large Ancient console, angling his body a bit to keep from hitting the camera on a couple oddly shaped pieces sitting on top of it. "Whoever filled this room crammed as much in as they possibly could. Reminds me of my closet when I was a teenager. Stuff it all in and shove the door shut."

Beth's laughter came over the comm, then abruptly stopped. "_Seamus, step back for me and turn to the right._"

Taking a couple steps back, he slowly turned to the right, trying to figure out what had caught her attention. It all looked like more of the same to him, aside from a multi-sided cube, roughly six inches in diameter, with colorful shapes decorating its surface. It appeared to be the only splash of color in the entire room.

"_Get everyone out of there._" The tone of her voice brooked no argument, and the Marines didn't question her demand. Bryan's voice came over the line. "_Evacuate the area. Now!" _They quickly corralled the reluctant scientists, moving them rapidly towards the nearest transporter and back to the main tower.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

A half-eaten energy bar lay next to her laptop, the notepad lying beside it full of notes and doodles. Her iPod was shuffling through a list of 80s and 90s rock from the U.S. and Europe, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air. Beth drank from her mug, staring out the window as she rested her right hip against the counter, foregoing the walking stick for the moment. Both hands gripped the mug tightly as she thought back to the shock of seeing another one of those blasted cubes in close proximity to those she held dear. The trembling started with her hands and quickly spread to the rest of her body, making the mug clink against the counter as she set it down. The explosion in Kavanagh's lab flashed in her mind, and she started to hyperventilate.

"Hey, Beth." She jumped, startled, and spun around to see Benji standing a few feet from her. Reaching reflexively for the walking stick, she quickly covered the distance between them and hugged him tightly.

Benji shook off her hands and took a couple steps back, confusion on his face. "What the hell-" he started to say, then noticed her hurt expression.

"I-I just needed a hug." Beth looked up at him and made a face. "Would it kill you to hug me just this once? You could have been killed earlier and…" She turned away, her back stiff as she looked out the window. To her complete surprise, Benji walked around and pulled her into a hug, hesitantly at first then holding her more tightly as she wrapped her arms around his torso. After a couple minutes she stepped back and looked up at him. "Thanks, Benji."

"No problem." A mischievous grin crossed his face. "Do I need to worry about my hot water?" She mock-glared at him, and he stepped back to dodge the hand attempting to smack his arm. "Unh-uh. No hitting your teammates." He easily avoided her reach, laughing at her attempts. "Give it up, Beth. I've got height _and_ agility on my side."

Beth chuckled at that, a wry grin on her face as she acknowledged his advantage over her 5'4" frame. "I can't do anything about you being eight inches taller, but I doubt you can outrun a knife!" She cracked up at Benji's puppy dog look. "Goofball. Did you want something, or are you just here to pester me?"

"_You're_ the one who accosted _me_," he pointed out. "I just stopped by to tell you we're all fine, and that we'll be having dinner in a couple hours if you have time to join us."

"Call me when you head to the mess hall, would you?" she requested with a grin. "I'm sifting through the database right now, and I've got a meeting upstairs in a few minutes. I'm liable to forget the time."

"Will do. See you later!" He waved as he walked out the door, stopping in the corridor to watch as she walked over to her workstation, a smile on her face.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

As he turned away from Beth's lab Benji took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he walked. His initial reaction to her hug hadn't been the best in the world, but he'd pushed past his shyness once he realized what she needed. Rounding the corner, he found his teammates waiting for him.

Bryan raised his eyebrows as he eyed Benji. "The hell was that?"

"Not sure. She was starting to freak out when I walked in. Look," he said defensively, "it coulda been any of us. I just walked in at the right time." The three men looked at him with varying degrees of skepticism. "Dammit, _she_ hugged _me_."

"Simply helping out a teammate?" Bryan tried to keep a serious look on his face as he watched Benji squirm.

"Uh… yeah. Exactly." The quartet started to walk down the corridor towards the gym, Benji exhaling a breath of relief that they'd let it drop so quickly.

Seamus, however, wasn't done yet. "So you didn't enjoy it?"

Benji snorted and the others turned to look at him. "Never said that." He grinned, whistling as he headed down the corridor. The other three exchanged a look before following after him.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Elizabeth heard the gate activate and looked up, her eyes looking at the command center visible through her office window. Her body tensed, waiting to see if this would be friend or foe, then relaxed as Peter deactivated the shield. _Hopefully that's the team returning from Hoff._ While she disliked taking Dr. Beckett away from what could be vital research in combatting the Wraith, her immediate concern had to be for the safety and welfare of the city and its inhabitants. A quick glance at the corner of the laptop screen told her that the meeting would be starting in a few minutes. As it wouldn't do for the leader to be late she pushed back her chair and stood up, grabbed the cup sitting on the desk, and headed out the door.

As she walked up the stairs to the conference room she could hear Rodney's voice, words almost tumbling out of his mouth as he spoke. "A room full of Ancient tech is discovered and no one sees fit to notify me? Last I checked I'm still head of the Science Department. Or did you change that while I was gone, Zilemka?"

An accented voice responded, "Is **Zelenka**. Yes, you are still head of department. But you were offworld, remember? And you were contacted when something of importance was discovered, were you not?"

Entering the room, she walked briskly towards her seat, deliberately choosing a route that took her between the two scientists and effectively ended their conversation. "If everyone will take a seat, I believe we're ready to begin. Dr. Noble?"

Those seated around the u-shaped table watched the video feed from earlier on a large monitor at one end. McKay was antsy, barely able to stay in his seat as he watched, wanting nothing more than to have first crack at the items shown.

When the dodecahedron came into view Noble paused the video, pointing at it as she spoke. "This device looks to be a twin to the one that exploded almost two weeks ago. I'm running a search in the database right now to hopefully discover what these devices are for and why the first one exploded."

She brought up a picture of the original device, placing it beside the image from the video. "As you can see, they appear to be identical. The script from the original device is an older variant of Ancient. I'll have it translated as soon as possible." Turning away from the images on the monitor, she looked at McKay. "I also sent you the information on those items already removed from the room."

Zelenka added, "Items have been cataloged and shelved in storage room three."

A huff of air escaped as McKay stared at the screen, eyes flicking between the two images. "That can wait until we figure out what these devices are and why the first one exploded. Any luck in the Ancient database?" His eyes moved from the screen to Noble as he spoke.

"I started a search before the meeting, but until I get back to my lab I won't know if it found anything."

Elizabeth glanced around the table at the senior staff, eyes flicking from Beckett to Noble when she noticed his concerned look that direction. Noble's movement was a bit stiff, and Elizabeth regretted that her expertise was needed so badly on this.

"We need whatever information we can find on these cubes ASAP," Sheppard drawled. "I don't like having a time bomb down there, just waiting to go off and blow a hole in part of the city."

Bates spoke up. "Recommend that we quarantine the area until the threat level can be assessed." His matter-of-fact tone gave away nothing aside from his desire to keep both city and personnel safe from harm.

"Agreed. I'll have Grodin lock down all access to that area for the time being." Elizabeth looked at McKay and Zelenka. "This has priority over anything else until we determine exactly what we're dealing with. We need to know what this device does and how to prevent another incident."

Several minutes later, the room emptied of all its occupants save one. Elizabeth took a deep breath as she stood up, hoping for a best case scenario but already anticipating the worst. She picked up the empty mug and walked back to her office, stopping by Grodin's station to make sure that the designated area was locked down until they knew what they were dealing with.

**Later that night**

The four Marines exited the locker room, deep in a discussion of the nighttime training exercise they'd just finished. Seamus, in the lead, automatically turned towards the living quarters when they reached the intersection, coming to a stop when he saw that Bryan heading down the adjoining corridor. "Where ya headed?" he called out.

Bryan called over his shoulder, "Check on Beth. Odds are she's still working, regardless of Beckett's orders. Wouldn't be the first time I've had to haul her ass off to bed and make her get some sleep."

The other three quickly caught up with him, and several minutes later they were walking down a darkened corridor towards the bright light spilling out into the hallway from her lab. A Bon Jovi tune was playing, the sound increasing as they neared the doorway.

The sight that met their eyes was not what they'd expected to see, and smothered laughter escaped as they looked around the room. Radek was stretched out on the couch under the window, glasses loosely held in one hand, sound asleep. Beth sat in her desk chair, head pillowed in her arms on the console next to her laptop, which had gone into sleep mode. Bryan guessed that she'd only meant to rest for a moment before getting back to work.

Using hand signals, the four men split into two pairs, with Benji and Josh making their way over to the couch while Bryan and Seamus walked over to Beth. Bryan turned off the iPod, causing Radek to stir slightly as he registered the lack of sound. Laying a hand on his shoulder, Josh gently woke the scientist, who blinked up at the two figures over him as he slid his glasses back on. The two soldiers helped him to his feet, steering him towards the door and down the hall.

Seamus reached for the walking stick as Bryan picked up Beth, doing his best not to wake her. Cradling her in his arms, Bryan walked out the door towards the transporter, followed a moment later by Seamus, who'd taken a moment to shut down the equipment and turn off the lights.

The first trio entered the transporter and disappeared, leaving it free for them to use. They exited a moment later in the living area and made their way to Beth's quarters, where Seamus gently picked up her right hand and waved it over the sensor to open the door.

Bryan made his way across the dimly lit room, Seamus darting ahead to pull back the covers on the bed. Laying Beth down carefully, he removed her shoes before tucking her in. "Night, kiddo," he whispered, kissing her forehead before heading for the door. Seamus rested the walking stick against the nightstand and followed him out.

"She always sleep this soundly?" Seamus asked with a grin as the door closed behind them.

Bryan laughed. "Yeah, that's SOP for her, and not the first time I've carried her to her quarters because she fell asleep at her desk. They finally assigned her quarters at the SGC because I kept putting her in one of the guest rooms. The trick is to make sure you don't wake her up; the first thing she reaches for is that damn belt knife." The two men headed towards their rooms and sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: The fabulous theicemenace did the beta for me, along her usual assistance/nudge/push to polish it into a better work of fiction than it would otherwise be. Any flubs left are entirely mine.

I will try my best to keep to the Saturday night posting schedule for the month, but things happen during the holiday season. I may be a bit late once or twice this month. That said, enjoy!

Lady Pandora

* * *

><p><strong>Unexpected<br>****Chapter**** 14**

When Beth woke the next morning she was surprised to find herself in her own bed, still in uniform. The last thing she remembered from the night before was resting for a moment while waiting for the results of yet another database search. As she made her way to the bathroom, she remembered the guys telling her about their nighttime training and realized Bryan must have stopped by her lab and found her asleep. Laughter escaped as she recalled the numerous times he'd done the same thing while they were at the SGC. _Some things never change, no matter which galaxy we're in._

Twenty minutes later she was almost ready for the day. Grabbing her belt from the dresser top, she pulled the knife out of its sheath and laid it on the dresser then, resting most of her weight on the left leg, she threaded the belt through the belt loops, sliding the sheath on the right side. Walking stick in her right hand, she snagged the belt knife with the other, sliding it into the sheath as she made a beeline for the door. The door chime sounded and she waved a hand over the sensor, turning towards the door to see Bryan standing there with a cup of "Coffee!"

He grinned and handed her the mug. "Good morning, sunshine. I see my timing is as good as ever."

Beth took a drink from the mug before replying. "Morning, Bry. I've never figured out how you do that, but I do love the coffee delivery!"

"I could tell you my secret, but-"

"Then you'd have to kill me. Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes at him over the rim of the mug and he laughed. Quickly finishing off the remainder of the drink, Beth handed the mug back and headed for the transporter, the walking stick tapping out a rhythm as she moved down the corridor and into the small space. Bryan reached over her shoulder and tapped the mess hall just as she reached up to the area by her lab. "Hey! I need to check on the results from last night's search."

"No, you need to eat first." He dodged as she swatted at him, taking a step out of the transporter towards the mess hall doors. "Play nice, kiddo. Not like we've never done this song and dance, and I _always_ win."

A huff of air escaped as she looked up at him in exasperation. "I hate you some days, you know that?"

His laughter echoed down the corridor, causing several people to turn and look at them before moving on their way. "Just remember who brings you coffee, brat."

Beth smirked up at him. "Radek?"

"That reminds me, there's something I wanted to ask you about-" Bryan broke off as they entered the mess hall, waiting until they'd gone through line and taken seats at a small table on one side of the balcony before finishing his thought.

Glancing around to make sure no one could overhear, he lowered his voice and asked, "So what's up with you and Dr. Z?"

Her reply was succinct. "We're friends."

He shot her an incredulous look. "Uh-huh. Friends. Like you're friends with Josh, Benji, and Seamus?"

"Not… exactly." Beth said evasively as he looked at her with raised eyebrows. "What?"

Knowing that persistence was key to getting her to admit something she didn't want to discuss, he went about it another way. "Are you dating?"

"Umm… not quite." Looking down at her plate, she deliberately took a bite of food after answering his question.

"You can't keep it a secret forever, kiddo. People gossip here more than anyone at the SGC," he teased, smirking at the look she gave him.

"They damn well better not," she snapped, irritation coloring her tone.

"Just remember what I told you before," he said seriously. "Ignore it. React and you'll just feed the rumor mill."

Beth shook her head, giving him a wry smile as she sipped on her coffee.

**Late morning**

The morning's physical therapy session took longer than usual, after which she endured a lecture from Beckett on exactly what 'part-time' and 'light duty' meant while he did a complete check-up. To her relief he found nothing more than mild pain and sleep deprivation, which earned her an additional talk about the healing effects of rest and a reminder that he would pull her off duty the moment he felt she was pushing too hard.

As she walked down the corridor towards her open lab door Beth caught a mixture of English and Czech coming from Radek's lab, laughter bubbling up as she caught some of the words. She bypassed her doorway, curiosity making her wonder what had caused the outburst this time. Radek's back was to the door, his attention on the large monitor as he traced a line on the schematic of what she guessed to be a section of conduit. His index finger tapped a line of Ancient writing as he muttered to himself, oblivious to her presence. A mischievous smile on her face, Beth walked up behind him as quietly as she could, trying not to make any noise with the walking stick. Radek jumped, startled as she leaned against his back, reaching around with her left hand to point at the writing as she translated it aloud.

Capturing her hand in his, Radek kissed the back before releasing it to turn and face her. "Hullo, _miláčku_." The impish grin on Beth's face tugged an answering smile from him. "Thank you for the translation."

"Any time. Dinner later?" she asked. He nodded, turning back to the computer when it beeped insistently. Beth grinned, knowing she'd lost him to his work. "Let me know when you're ready." Radek waved absent-mindedly at her as he scanned the data on the screen.

**Later that night**

As the email went out into cyberspace, Radek leaned back in his chair and stretched, only then realizing how hungry he was. He glanced at the chronometer and swore. Somehow he'd managed to work straight through dinner, totally missing his date with Beth. As she hadn't come to find him, he guessed that she'd gotten wrapped up in her hunt for information on the device and lost track of time as well.

Deciding to take a quick trip to the mess hall to see what might be there, he found some sandwiches in the fridge and some fruit from the last trading mission in the pantry. When he reached Beth's lab, he knocked on the door frame to announce his presence. "Hullo, Běta. I'm sorry I missed dinner. I thought you might like to take a break now?"

Beth turned and smiled at him. "Your timing is perfect. I was going to dig out an energy bar, but real food sounds much more appealing. And I have just enough coffee left for one more pot." She walked over to the counter on the opposite wall, where a coffeemaker sat surrounded by stacks of research material, and started the coffee before taking a seat on the couch.

Radek set the tray down on the coffee table and sat down beside her, one leg brushing against hers as he shifted to face her, the twisting movement causing him to wince as his back protested.

Twirling a finger for him to turn around, Beth used both hands to work the tension from his shoulders and back as he relaxed into her touch, hissing when she hit a sore spot. "_Promiň!_ So what happened this afternoon? I heard Rodney was in rare form but not why."

"_Ne_, don't apologize. It feels wonderful." He sighed as some of the tension drained out of him. "Kavanagh and McKay got into a shouting match right after lunch, and McKay took out his foul mood on those working with him in the main lab, which meant part of my afternoon was spent fielding complaints and soothing wounded egos._ The man is truly brilliant, not that I would ever tell him that, but he can be extremely difficult to work with._"

"_I wonder if he knows how many people would have quit or had nervous breakdowns without you running interference_," Beth mused as her hands massaged his neck.

Radek laughed. "_Now you know why Dr. Weir made him name me second in command. _It's either that or my ability to put up with him for longer than anyone else." Reaching up, he snagged both of her hands in his, tugging slightly to pull her against him as his thumbs rubbed back and forth across her knuckles. "Thank you, _miláčku_."

"Radek…" Warm air ghosted against his neck as she spoke, and he shivered slightly in reaction.

Lifting one hand to his lips, he brushed them across her knuckles, hearing her breath catch at his touch. "Yes?"

"I, umm, I th-think the coffee's ready."

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

As Radek walked over to the coffeemaker Beth thought about everything that had happened over the past three days. Her body was hyper-aware of him now, and every time they were in the same room he found a reason to touch her, causing her brain to short-circuit as her body reacted. Even something as simple as their fingers touching when he handed her a mug, or his leg brushing against hers as he leaned forward to pick up the plate of sandwiches, was enough to make her bite her lip at the shiver that ran through her body.

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes focused on the lip caught between her teeth, then blinked and removed his glasses to clean the lenses on the corner of his shirt, picking up where he left off as he placed them back on his face. A smile played on Beth's lips at his by now very familiar tactic. _At least I know he's as effected by this as I am._

They spent the next several minutes eating and talking, both relaxing as the sexual tension in the room eased a bit. Finally Radek said, "I need get back to work if I hope to get any sleep tonight." He looked at her for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Would you like to work in my lab? I have a table you could use and I would enjoy the company."

A corner of her mouth lifted as she nodded, widening into a grin as his eyes brightened and a shy smile crossed his lips. "I work better with music playing, if you don't mind the noise. I have Dvořák and a couple other classical composers, 80s and early 90s pop/rock, and an eclectic mix of everything else."

"_Ano_, bring the music. Gather what you need and I'll carry it over for you." Radek cleaned up the remains of dinner while Beth put what she needed in her pack. Picking up the pack, he slung it over a shoulder, grabbing their mugs in one hand and the pot of coffee in the other before leading the way to his lab. He set the pot and mugs down at one end of a small table, placing the pack next to them, and pulled a chair over, holding it for her as she sat down.

Beth propped her right leg up on a convenient box and unloaded the pack. "What would you like hear?" she asked, looking up with a grin.

"Whatever you prefer is fine," he responded in a distracted voice as he set up the speakers.

"You may regret that. I tend to sing along," Beth warned as she pulled up a song list, docked the iPod, and hit play. _Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody_ echoed in the room and Beth swayed with the music, softly singing as she worked on revising a section of coding for the translation program.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Radek chuckled as he realized she had no idea how often he'd heard her singing. "I think I will survive." He walked over to another table to check some data scrolling down the screen of an open laptop, one hand caressing her shoulder as he passed by.

They worked steadily over the next couple of hours, the sound of music echoing faintly out the door and down the hall. A string of swear words pulled his focus out of the project he'd been working on, and he listened in amusement as Beth switched rapidly between several languages. "Běta? What is wrong?"

"Aside from the coding that I can't get right? Not a thing!" she growled in frustration. Slipping her knife from its belt sheath she flipped it between her fingers, looking for something to throw it at.

Raising his eyebrows at the knife, he gazed at her a moment before saying, "I would prefer that you not use anything in here for target practice_._" Standing up, he walked over to where she was seated, reading the text over her shoulder. "Maybe I can help?"

Beth gestured towards the keyboard. "Be my guest." She slipped the knife back into its sheath and started to push away to give him some space. He stepped in behind her chair before it moved more than a couple inches, reaching around her shoulders to type as he read the lines of coding.

Resting his chin on her left shoulder as he worked, Radek focused on the text in front of him, trying to ignore the brush of her hair against his cheek as he murmured to himself. Once he'd finished he stepped back slightly, one hand resting on her shoulder as his thumb gently rubbed the skin just above her collar.

"Should work now." Radek's voice came out huskier than he'd meant, and he silently cursed as he reined in his traitorous body. _Now is not the time_, he thought, mentally reciting first the names of his pigeons and then a series of prime numbers. _This is too important to screw up by rushing things, and she is not yet fully healed._

Beth looked up at him, the slight flush on her cheeks betraying her body's reaction, and Radek groaned inwardly before giving in to temptation. Cupping her cheek in one hand, he leaned down to kiss her, his lips brushing across hers as her arms reached up to pull him closer. He deepened the kiss, feeling her breath catch as his other hand slid around to the back of her head, fingers tunneling through her hair.

Several minutes later he gently pulled back, a little shaken by the intensity of what they'd shared. "_Miláčku,_" he whispered as she opened her eyes, the heated look almost enough to make him rethink taking it slowly. Her lips curved in a smile, wordlessly conveying her happiness, and he grinned in response.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Rodney McKay stood in the corridor, unnoticed by either of the room's occupants. He'd come up from his lab to discuss the latest power distribution numbers, but had come to an abrupt halt just outside the open doorway as Zelenka leaned down to kiss Noble. He observed them for a moment before silently moving away towards the transporter. _Well,_ **_that_** _explains a few things, _he thought smugly, realizing no one else probably had any idea what was going on. Being privy to something everyone else was unaware of, even if it was by accident, also gave him leverage over the pair. _Zelenka won't be happy when he discovers I know his little secret, but that's what he gets for making out in his lab!_

As he rounded the corner Rodney saw one of the Marines coming towards him, heading for the labs. Vaguely recognizing him as someone he'd seen with Noble on a regular basis, he guessed the man was likely bound for her lab. He waited until they were almost level with each other before saying anything. "You going to Noble's lab?"

The soldier looked at him in surprise. "Yes, I am. Why?"

"She and Zelenka are in his lab working on a very delicate experiment. I wouldn't disturb them right now."

"How long is that likely to take?" he asked. "Beth is still on part-time duty, which I was going to point out to her."

"I'll mention it when I come back to harass them in an hour or so, which should be enough time for them to finish the experiment." Rodney smirked as he said the last, remembering what he'd seen.

The man looked a bit puzzled, but nodded. "Thanks, Doc. In that case I'll head off to bed."

An hour later Rodney stood and stretched, feeling his muscles protest as he worked out the kinks. Remembering the pair up in Zelenka's lab, he headed for the transporter, grabbing his tablet on the way out. As he drew close to the doorway he heard Noble say she should probably head for bed before Bry hunted her down.

He walked in and said grumpily, "I know you're dedicated to your jobs and all, but it's time to call it a night, especially you," Rodney said as he pointed at Noble. "Beckett will have my hide if he finds out you're working this late."

"McKay." Zelenka greeted him in a tired voice.

He made a face. "Call me Rodney. It's too damn late for formalities."

Noble looked up at him, noting the tired look in his eyes and the general aura of weariness about him. "You need some rest too, Rodney."

"Yes, well, if certain people would go to bed when they're supposed to instead of staying up all hours I'd already be in mine," he snapped, looking from one to the other.

It only took a moment to shut down the equipment, then the trio headed for the living quarters and some much-deserved rest.

**The next morning**

To her surprise, when Beth walked into her lab the next morning she found a fresh pot of coffee waiting, minus one mug's worth. A delighted smile lit up her face as she poured some into a waiting mug then turned and walked over the console, only then seeing the bag of coffee beans sitting on her laptop. The grin widened as she read the note underneath, which read simply 'Thank you – RZ'. Given that the nearest grocery store was a galaxy away, she wondered how Radek had managed to find another bag of coffee beans. _Definitely a genie!_ Tucking the note in her pants pocket, she stashed the bag of beans in a cabinet next to the filters.

**Mid-afternoon**

Pulling the next knife out of the bandolier, Beth flipped it as she eyed the target, then pulled back and let it go. It hit the center with a satisfying thunk, right beside the first one. As she reached for the third knife the laptop beeped, indicating that the latest search was complete. Spinning around with a sigh, she reached for the mouse, glancing up at the screen as she did so. Instead of the all-too-familiar variations of 'no records found', she was astonished to see an image of the dodecahedron, along with several references in the Ancient database. Her whoop of victory was loud enough that it brought Radek running from his lab to see what had happened.

"Běta? What has happened?" he asked, coming to a stop next to her.

Beth pointed at the image. "I think I found it! Finally." As he looked at the screen, she impulsively popped up out of the chair and kissed him on the cheek. The surprise on his face made her laugh. "Okay, let's see what this thing does aside from explode." Translating aloud, she read the description accompanying it.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Rodney stomped out of the main lab in irritation, tablet tucked under one arm. _None of these idiots can do anything right unless I sit and hold their hands_, he thought in exasperation. Stepping inside the transporter, he paused briefly before selecting a destination, deciding to visit Zelenka's lab to check on his latest project. As he exited and headed down the corridor, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted towards him. The excited murmur of two voices could be heard coming from Noble's lab, conversing in a mixture of languages that made his eyes roll. _Because one person speaking Czech isn't enough of a pain in the ass._

Walking into the lab, he headed straight for the coffeepot without saying a word, pouring coffee into a mug and drinking deeply.

"McKay," Zelenka said. "Did you need something?"

Rodney drained the mug and poured himself another cup, raising it to his lips and taking a long sip of its contents. "Ah," he sighed in satisfaction. "Just what I needed." He looked at the two of them, and raised his eyebrows. "Am I interrupting something?" he smirked.

Noble shot him a look of exasperation. "We're working, Rodney. You know, that thing we do because it makes our tyrannical boss happy?"

Rodney said thoughtfully, "Tyrannical. I like that."

"Sounds better than arrogant and egotistical, yes?" Zelenka deadpanned, chuckling as Rodney glared at him.

"Hellooo, smartest person in two galaxies. I think I've earned the right to call myself whatever I choose," he snapped. "Even you can't keep up with me, no matter what you may think." Zelenka looked heavenward in a bid for patience. "Don't give me that look, you annoying Czech." He glanced up at the screen, eyes narrowing as he recognized the object depicted. "And when were you planning on telling me about that?" he asked, pointing at the image.

"I only found it a few minutes ago," Noble's exasperation came through loud and clear. "I sent you an email as soon as I realized-"

Rodney's tablet beeped and he glanced down at it. "Oh… Yes, yes, I can see that."

"I _was_ going to translate it first, but feel free to-" She stopped as he pushed her chair aside, his hands flying across the keyboard. "McKay!"

"Busy." His eyes scanned the characters scrolling across the screen, his grasp of Ancient giving him the gist. "Huh. Shields. Good idea. Wonder if I can make it work?" Rodney was startled when the laptop was abruptly yanked away. "The hell?" Turning to his right, he looked into Noble's annoyed face.

"_My_ lab. _My_ laptop. Feel free to stick around while I translate but hands off!" The expression on her face made it crystal clear what she thought of him usurping her lab and equipment.

Snapping his fingers at her, Rodney stated irritably, "_My_ department. And last I checked, _your_ boss."

The look Beth shot him could have peeled paint off the wall. "You really want to test that theory, McKay?"

Eyeing her warily, he decided it was in his best interest to let her win. "Fine. But work quickly." He glared at Zelenka when the man laughed. "Don't you have something to do that's not _here_?"

Noble huffed in annoyance. "He's helping _me_. Leave him alone, Rodney."

Pacing back and forth as he waited, Rodney consumed coffee and made snide remarks. After several minutes, the tablet in his hand beeped and he looked down at it. "Finally," he muttered sarcastically as he opened the file.

He scrolled through the translation, keeping a running commentary as he read. "Who the hell designs a prototype shield to look like the Ancient equivalent of a Megaminx puzzle? Idiots! Overload issue. Huh. So that's why the damn thing exploded. Wonder if we could get the second prototype to work, preferably without exploding? Wait. Where's the rest?" Looking up at Noble, Rodney asked, "Well?"

"Well what?" she snapped at him.

"The rest." Waving a hand irritably at her, he added, "…or haven't you finished translating it yet?"

"That's it," Noble said. "There's nothing else to give you."

"What? There has to be! This is something actually useful. How could there not be notes on it?" A few thoughts about the useless Ancients and their lack of recordkeeping crossed his mind.

Zelenka nudged Noble. "The schematics. Did you-"

"Oh! Right." Turning back around, she quickly sent another email.

Rodney flipped through the schematics that arrived a moment later, fuming at the half-assed documentation done by the Ancient scientists as his agile mind worked on a solution to the shield problem.

"I'm trying to track down more details on the Ancient scientist who spearheaded the project," Noble said, interrupting his train of thought. "And hopefully any other labs he might have used. It's possible he had a personal lab somewhere with more detailed notes."

Rodney snorted derisively. "That's about as likely as me suddenly discovering enlightenment and forsaking all this scientific mumbo-jumbo. I'll let Weir and Sheppard know." Grabbing his coffee cup, he topped it off before heading to the control room, completely oblivious to the irritated linguist left in his wake.

* * *

><p>AN: Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer. Following the nationalist example of Bedřich Smetana, Dvořák frequently employed aspects, specifically rhythms, of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia.

A/N: Megaminx is a dodecahedron shaped puzzle that was inspired by the original Rubik's Cube.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: The lovely and talented theicemenace did the beta for me, as per usual. Dr. Cole's first name as Amanda is also borrowed from her. As always, any mistakes left are solely mine.

The obligatory disclaimer: The sandbox I play in does not belong to me; it belongs to MGM. I just borrow it and bring in some of my own characters to play in their universe.

Enjoy! Lady Pandora

* * *

><p><strong>Unexpected<br>****Chapter**** 15**

**The Next Morning**

Dr. Amanda Cole ran the scanner over Beth's knee, thankful for the Ancient equipment that was a vast improvement on current Earth technology. Looking at the image on the monitor, she was able to determine how well the ligaments were healing. "Exactly how much time have you spent working the past few days?" she asked, eyes flicking over to her patient. The guilty look on Beth's face spoke volumes. "Part-time means _part-time_, not push until you end up with permanent damage."

"I didn't have a choice. We needed to know-" Beth stopped as Amanda held up a hand.

"Your knee is healing better than expected. In spite of overdoing things, you've been careful with it. Make sure you follow the instructions the physical therapist gave you, and listen to your body. When you're tired or in pain, take a break. And at least eight hours of sleep at night." Her no-nonsense tone left no room for argument. "Consider yourself lucky Carson went back to Hoff this morning. He'd have pulled you off duty just to make a point."

"No slap on the wrist this time?" Beth asked.

"Nope, although I _am_ going to use your favorite polish tomorrow night. Which reminds me… it's your turn to host. Don't forget the drinks!" Amanda grinned as she handed Beth her walking stick, adding, "See if you can get your hands on some of that Athosian wine."

"I think there's still one bottle left from last time. I'll see if I can get more." Sliding off the bed, Beth took a couple of steps before turning back around. "Pass it on to Daphne and Marie, would you? I'll swing by the main lab and let Miko and Liesl know. Catch you later!" She waved as she headed out the door.

After a brief stop to pass on the message Beth arrived back in her lab, quickly gathering the items she needed for cataloging and placing them in her messenger bag.

A feminine voice came from the open doorway. "I came to offer my services for the day. Anything I can help with?"

"Daph!" Beth exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you were on duty today?"

Daphne Anderson strolled over with a grin as Beth slipped the strap of the messenger bag over one shoulder, resting the bag on the opposite hip. "And I thought you weren't supposed to carry anything."

"Yeah, well… just keep it to yourself," Beth retorted.

"Can do, but my silence has a price," Daphne responded, laughter in her voice. "And you do have the best nail polish on base!"

Beth rolled her eyes. "Between you and Amanda I won't have any left after tomorrow night!"

"All for a good cause, or in this case, good polish," Daphne grinned. "Anything else you need?"

"Just the camera, and then we're good to go." Suiting action to words Beth retrieved the camera off its shelf, slinging the strap around her neck, then waved Daphne towards the door. "Not that I'm ungrateful, but how is it you're not working a shift today?"

Daphne laughed, easily keeping pace with the shorter scientist as they walked towards the transporter. "Dr. Beckett's off world and the teams have kept injuries down to minor things, so I asked to work with you for the day," her voice changed to a spooky tone, "cataloging the room of mysteries. Amanda was more than happy at the thought of having someone there to keep an eye on things, just in case."

"And the fact that a certain sergeant also happens to be working in that same area has nothing whatsoever to do with it, right?" Beth said teasingly.

Daphne looked at her innocently. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh," she snorted. "Sure, Daph. Whatever you say."

"Call me Anderson while we're working, would you? He hasn't guessed it yet." The impish grin on her face made it clear how much fun she was having with their little game.

Beth cracked up at that. "You're getting way too much enjoyment out of this, you know."

"It's not my fault he can't figure it out," Daphne said. "I'm surprised he hasn't asked _you_ yet."

"He won't. It's a matter of honor. He'll get it eventually, and in the meantime it gives me something to tease him about." The grin on Beth's face indicated how much she was enjoying that. "And he's also stopped bugging me about _my_ love life!"

As they neared the room in question the two heard some creative swearing coming from within. Quietly approaching the door they looked in, laughing at the sight that met their eyes. Benji and Josh were trapped behind a large cart that had somehow gotten wedged in between two consoles, and the remaining occupants were almost tripping over each other as they tried without success to move it. Josh glanced up and saw them, cutting off his rant mid-word. Beth suggested a few words of Italian and Romanian as five pairs of eyes looked at the women standing in the doorway.

"Should we just come back later?" Beth looked as her two teammates, neither of which bothered to dignify her remark with a comment. The room, which was still two-thirds full of items stacked haphazardly on, around and under the consoles, seemed almost too small for the five men attempting to move the hapless cart. From where she stood it was easy to guess that the cart had gotten turned just enough to lodge it between two of the Ancient consoles, neither of which could be moved, even if they weren't attached to the floor, due to the considerable amount of stuff piled around and on them.

"What the _hell_?" Bryan's voice came from behind the two women, who shifted sideways as he entered the room, Radek and Benji on his heels.

Corrigan and Abrams looked at Gall, who sheepishly admitted to getting the cart stuck. "I didn't notice it had turned a bit; I just thought the wheels were sticking again. I exerted more force and wedged it between the consoles."

Fifteen minutes and several frayed tempers later the cart was freed, and they were able to get back to work. The two Marines gladly relinquished their cataloging duties to the two women, focusing their efforts on safely removing each item from the jumbled mess that comprised the majority of the room. Beth photographed each device while Daphne typed a detailed description and assigned it a reference number, then one of the scientists placed it on the cart. Once the cart was full it was taken up to the storage room and another one took its place. The group quickly found a rhythm, working steadily to clear out the room.

Several hours passed before Daphne insisted they all take a break. Abrams, Corrigan, and Gall had stayed in the storage room to unload the last cart of artifacts, which left Radek, the two women, and Bryan's team. Making a quick decision, Bryan sent Seamus and Josh to the mess hall for sandwiches and drinks.

Walking a short way down the corridor, Benji waved a hand over a door sensor to reveal a room containing assorted furnishings, including several small sofas.

Beth peered around him, eyes wide as she took in the jumbled contents. "What a mess!"

"Hmm. There're a couple sofas we can pull out." Looking back over his shoulder, Benji called out, "Hey, Reynolds!"

Bryan turned away from where he'd been talking with Daphne. "Yeah?"

"Help me move these." Benji gestured at the open doorway, eyes sliding sideways towards Beth, who was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, clearly worn out but refusing to give in to it.

"Be right there. Excuse me… Josie?" Bryan said, hoping he'd gotten it this time. Using his most disarming smile, the one that bordered on a smirk, he added, "Pussycat?"

Feminine laughter echoed down the hallway. "Nope." Daphne leaned towards him, tilting her head meaningfully towards Beth, and Bryan's eyes widened in understanding as he nodded his head slightly.

He quickly moved to help Benji wrestle a sofa out into the hallway beside the weary linguist. Radek had joined her, one hand moving soothingly up and down her arm as he talked to her. He looked at the two soldiers, nodding slightly at their questioning looks.

"Hey kiddo," Bryan spoke quietly, injecting a bit of humor into his tone. "Test this out for me, would you? You know how picky I am when it comes to sofas."

Slowly opening her eyes, Beth gazed up at him in blatant disbelief. "Since _when_?"

Shaking his head at the stubborn tilt of her chin, Bryan shot her a look of annoyed patience. "Since about thirty seconds ago, when I decided to be nice rather than simply pick you up and dump you on it."

Beth opened her mouth to retort, shutting it again as he took a step towards her, a slight scowl of reprimand turning his eyebrows downward as he nodded at the sofa. Her look told him exactly what he could do with his suggestion as she stepped away from the wall and sat down with a sigh of relief.

Bryan shared a look with Radek, who leaned against the wall as he kept an eye on her. Daphne sat down beside her, engaging her in a quiet conversation about the carvings on the walking stick.

The two Marines brought out another sofa, Bryan waiting until he was even with Beth to say in a teasing undertone, "Annoying, stubborn pain-in-the-ass."

Beth's head whipped around as she said in mock indignation, "_What_ did you just call me?"

Bryan snorted. "You heard me."

"This from a major pain in the _mik'ta_." She continued on in that vein, switching between languages as she did so. Both Marines were laughing by now, and Bryan was relieved to see that she'd perked up. When he glanced at Daphne she winked at him, her smile showing approval of his tactics.

The Czech phrases caused Radek to choke. "Běta!"

His exclamation caused her to stop mid-word as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "_Promiň_, Radek."

Bryan wondered what exactly was going on between the two of them; in the six years he'd known her she'd never once apologized for swearing, not even the time she'd discovered General Hammond standing behind her. _First time for everything!_ he thought, amused by the short conversation in Czech between the two. "What did she say, Dr. Z?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing I would repeat in _any_ language. Was _not_ nice."

Bryan turned to Beth, one hip thrust out to the side, arms crossed, Radek giving her a look of reproach.

Beth winced as she shifted on the sofa. "Okay, okay. I take it back. Can we get back to work now?"

Bryan and Radek exchanged a look, with Bryan speaking for them. "We'll do the work. You just sit there and supervise. You're good at giving orders."

The sound of boots thumping on floors covered with millennia of dust heralded the return of Josh and Seamus, both men carrying loaded trays. The small group devoured the offerings, and in short order nothing edible was left on the trays. The other three scientists rejoined them, bringing the empty cart, and the group continued their work, Benji taking over camera duties as Beth supervised from her seat on the sofa.

**Early evening**

Abrams and Corrigan pushed the full cart down the corridor as Gall walked beside, keeping an eye on the devices. They reached the transporter at the end and disappeared, heading first to the storage room and then to the mess hall.

Daphne walked out of the small room, stretching to work out the kinks from standing in one spot. Beth was amused to see Bryan close on her heels, followed by the rest of her team. Radek had already taken a seat next to her, intent on the tablet in his hands as he muttered to himself in Czech.

"Sandy? Melody? Cindy?" Bryan guessed.

"Nope. Keep trying." The humor in Daphne's voice was a marked contrast to the look of frustration on Bryan's face.

Beth shared a grin with Daphne as Bryan glared at her. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"_Of course_ I am," Beth said with a chuckle.

"Brat," he retorted, a crooked grin appearing as she smirked at him.

Nudging Radek to get his attention, Beth indicated the waiting group. "Yes, yes. Just a moment," he said distractedly, glancing up and then back down to the screen as he finished typing. Rising to his feet, he held out a hand to Beth, who studiously ignored the grins from her teammates as she allowed him to assist her. As the group walked towards the transporter Bryan continued to throw out names, much to the amusement of everyone else. Seamus, Josh, and Benji went first, leaving the two couples to wait for a moment.

Daphne looked over at Beth. "Did you get some Athosian wine for tomorrow night?"

"I've got one bottle. I'll have to ask Teyla if she has any more," Beth replied.

"How many do you need?" Radek inquired, as the doors opened and they stepped inside.

"Given how fast it's consumed, probably another two or three bottles. Why?" she asked, turning her head to peer up at him questioningly.

"Will bring them later tonight," he said quietly, reaching up to touch the screen. Bryan snorted as Radek shot him a quelling look, shaking his head to discourage comment.

**Later that night**

Removing a crystal from his pocket, Radek replaced it in the center of the door panel and waved a hand over the sensor, triggering the door. He stepped inside, maneuvering between the boxes and shelves in the small room, stopping at last in front of a shelf holding various bottles. A quick scan located the Athosian wine, three bottles of which he placed in a backpack. Several other items from the room were added to it as he worked through the day's requests. His ever-present tablet beeped and he scanned the most recent message, moving to a box on the other side of the room to retrieve the item requested. Once everything was stowed in his pack he closed the door and retrieved the crystal, sliding it into a pocket as he walked back down the corridor.

The deliveries took longer than he'd anticipated; it seemed like everyone he ran into needed something that night. As Radek made yet another trip back to the small room he looked at the time, swearing as he realized how late it was. He'd promised Beth he would bring her the wine that night, but he wasn't sure she'd still be up. Emptying his pack of everything but the three bottles of wine, he secured the door once again, slipping the crystal into his pocket as he headed quickly for the nearest transporter.

A short time later he ran a hand over another door panel. A moment passed, then the door slid open. His eyes skimmed down and back up the figure standing there, taking in the colorfully embroidered white peasant blouse, shorts and bare feet, before he looked into her amused eyes with a somewhat sheepish smile.

"Something I can do for you?" Beth teased, her grin widening as his cheeks reddened slightly.

"Hullo, _miláčku_. May I come in?" he asked. Beth moved aside, allowing him entrance, then waved at the sensor to close the door. He took a few steps forward before turning to face her, sliding the pack off his shoulder as he did so. Reaching into it, he extracted the bottles, looking at her questioningly. "Where would you like me to put them?"

She pointed at the cooler sitting on one side of the desk. "In there, if you would. So, what do I owe you for this?"

"Owe me?" he echoed, placing the three bottles carefully inside the cooler. "_A Czech genie simply grants wishes._"

"Come on, Radek. This had to have cost you something. I can't accept them without giving you something in return." Standing with one hand on her hip, she waited for his response.

"What do you have to barter with?" His eyes twinkled as her face went blank.

She shrugged, stumped by the question. "What would you suggest?"

He looked at her for a moment, as if thinking things over, fighting a laugh as he watched her shift impatiently. Removing his glasses, he polished them on the edge of his shirt, then slipped them back in place before responding. "I think a walk in the moonlight would be perfect."

"Just one walk total, or one for each bottle?" she asked with a grin.

"Are you offering one walk per bottle?"

Beth's grin grew wider as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Then I accept. And to seal the deal…" Radek smiled as he walked over to her, one hand coming up to cup her face. Her eyes slid closed as he kissed her gently then stepped back, his hand trailing down her cheek as he did so. "Would you like to go for a stroll now?"

"Sure. Just give me a moment…." Her voice trailed off as she disappeared in to the bathroom, coming back out a moment later dressed in khakis but still, he was happy to see, wearing the peasant blouse.

**A short time later**

The couple leaned against the railing as they talked, eyes focused on the stars above. Beth shivered as a cool breeze wafted through the night air, wishing momentarily that she'd opted for something warmer than the thin cotton blouse she had on. _The look in his eyes is well worth a little discomfort_, she thought, peering up at the moon.

Warm arms wrapped around her, pulling her snugly against his chest. Shifting against him, Beth felt his arms tighten as she pressed close to his warmth. Radek's lips brushed against her right ear, sending an entirely different shiver down her spine, before moving on to her neck and along her exposed shoulder. His left hand slid under her blouse, pushing the waistband of her pants down just enough for his thumb to rub small circles around her navel. A small gasp escaped as her body reacted to his touch. Using his other hand, he turned her head, capturing her lips with his in a fervent kiss. When she moaned and shuddered, senses reeling, he took advantage of the opportunity to deepen the kiss.

Beth lost herself in the magic of his lips and touch, not realizing that his other hand had also slipped underneath until she felt it begin to slide upward. Knowing where it was headed, she debated for a split second whether to stop him before admitting to herself that she didn't want to.

* * *

><p>AN: Liesl Maier is the blonde German scientist seen in _Duet_.  
>Miko Kusanagi is the Japanese scientist in <em>Letters From Pegasus<em>.  
>Marie Cho is Carson's nurse in <em>Sunday<em>.  
>And Nurse Daphne Anderson is my OC.<p> 


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